Basketball Game Preview: The First Academy Royals vs. Viera Hawks

The First Academy has won nine straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Viera has won nine straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The First Academy Royals just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Viera Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

The First Academy will head into Thursday's matchup having proved themselves against Melbourne: The First Academy took a 21-point defeat the last time they faced off against Melbourne, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The First Academy had just enough and edged Melbourne out 59-56.

Meanwhile, Viera beat Cocoa 60-47 on Tuesday. Given the Hawks' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 68th, while the Tigers are ranked 499th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

The First Academy's victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 15-6. As for Viera, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season.

The First Academy ended up a good deal behind Viera in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 61-45. Will The First Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.