Basketball Game Preview: Jacksonville Christian Academy Conquerors vs. Pamlico Christian Academy Mariners

Jacksonville Christian Academy and Pamlico Christian Academy are an even 4-4 against one another since December of 2021, but not for long. The Conquerors will square off against the Mariners at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. Jacksonville Christian Academy has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Jacksonville Christian Academy will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up 18 points on Thursday, then bounced right back against Fellowship Christian Academy on Tuesday. The Conquerors breezed past Fellowship Christian Academy to the tune of 62-20. Considering the Conquerors' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.

Jeremiah Brown had an outrageously good game as he went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc on his way to 25 points and five steals. Another player making a difference was Jacob Pittman, who shot 41% from the field to rack up 16 points and four steals.

Jacksonville Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Pamlico Christian Academy played in-conference for the first time on Tuesday and got just the result they were looking for. Everything went their way against Christ Covenant as they made off with a 63-38 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mariners.

Jacksonville Christian Academy better keep an eye on Noah Haywood. He was instrumental in Pamlico Christian Academy's win, dropping a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Those 12 boards gave Haywood a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Zac Salen, who went 6-for-10 en route to 17 points.

Pamlico Christian Academy's victory bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Jacksonville Christian Academy, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.

Jacksonville Christian Academy couldn't quite finish off Pamlico Christian Academy when the teams last played back in February and fell 47-44. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Mariners' Max Cruz, who shot 70% from the field on his way to 18 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Now that the Conquerors know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.