Basketball Game Preview: Ribault Trojans vs. Lake Highland Prep Highlanders

The Ribault Trojans and the Lake Highland Prep Highlanders will compete for holiday cheer at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ribault knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven matches -- so hopefully Lake Highland Prep likes a good challenge.

Ribault is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Mandarin just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Thursday. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 68-67 to the Mustangs. The loss put an end to the Trojans' undefeated start to the season.

Defeat or not, Ribault got some senior leadership from Jamian Jackson and Ty'Reon Bradwell. Jackson went 5 for 10 on his way to 16 points and three steals, while Bradwell dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 boards. The game was Jackson's third in a row with at least ten points. Kaleb McDuffie was another key player, putting up ten points.

Even though they lost, Ribault smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Lake Highland Prep had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. Everything went their way against the Hornets as they made off with a 61-35 victory. The Highlanders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 22 points or more this season.

Lake Highland Prep pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Ribault, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.