Basketball Game Preview: Astronaut War Eagles vs. Rockledge Raiders

Astronaut is 1-9 against Rockledge since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Astronaut War Eagles will face off against the Rockledge Raiders at 5:30 p.m. Astronaut will be strutting in after a win while Rockledge will be coming in after a loss.

Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, Astronaut turned things around against Pineapple Cove Classical Academy on Friday. They pulled ahead with a 27-26 photo finish over the Patriots. The War Eagles' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Astronaut relied on the efforts of Michelle Alice, who posted nine points, and Carla Woods, who earned six points. Those nine points gave Alice a new career-high.

Meanwhile, Rockledge was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 41-37 heartbreaker at the hands of Merritt Island Christian.

Astronaut will need focus on slowing down Shaniya Jones, one of several Rockledge players who made an impact when they last played. She had seven points along with seven rebounds and five steals. Jones has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordyn Bradley, who put up 20 points.

Astronaut's victory ended a ten-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-9. As for Rockledge, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.

Astronaut was dealt a bruising 63-30 loss at the hands of Rockledge in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. Thankfully for Astronaut, Jaida Williams-Goins (who dropped a triple-double on 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.