Basketball Game Preview: Capitol Encore Academy Dragons vs. New Life Christian Academy Monarchs

The Capitol Encore Academy Dragons will head out on the road to take on the New Life Christian Academy Monarchs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Capitol Encore Academy is looking for their season's first victory.

Capitol Encore Academy is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Howard back in December of 2024 (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Capitol Encore Academy took a blow against Howard, falling 73-32. The contest marked the Dragons' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Meanwhile, New Life Christian Academy had just enough and edged Howard out 68-66 on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Monarchs.

Capitol Encore Academy better keep an eye on Asany Richmond. He was instrumental in New Life Christian Academy's win, dropping a double-double on 30 points and 14 boards. With that strong performance, Richmond is now averaging an impressive 15.8 points per game. Another player making a difference was Noah Melvin, who went 7 of 13 on his way to 15 points.

New Life Christian Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

New Life Christian Academy's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-13. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.0 points per game. As for Capitol Encore Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.

Capitol Encore Academy was dealt a bruising 82-43 loss at the hands of New Life Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can Capitol Encore Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.