Basketball Recap: Make It Five in a Row for Saint Andrew's

Scots

Margin (Wins)

12/11/24 vs Pine Crest	30
12/07/24 vs Northeast	27
12/13/24 @ St. John Paul II Academy	21
12/09/24 vs Park Vista	18
12/03/24 vs American Heritage	18

You're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Saint Andrew on Friday. They were the clear victor by an 81-60 margin over the St. John Paul II Academy Eagles. The Scots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matches by 21 points or more this season.

Saint Andrew's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Xander Gerard, who went 7 for 9 on his way to 18 points in addition to eight boards and seven assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Zion Sampaio, who went 9 of 11 on his way to 18 points and five rebounds.

Despite the loss, St. John Paul II Academy still got an impressive performance from Ian Astiazarain, who went 10 of 19 on his way to 27 points. Astiazarain continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Dior Johnson, who went 5 of 12 en route to 12 points and three steals.

The victory (which was Saint Andrew's fifth in a row) raised their record to 11-1. As for St. John Paul II Academy, they moved to 6-4 with that defeat, which also ended their three-game winning streak.

Saint Andrew's will take on Coral Springs in a holiday battle at on Friday. One thing working in Saint Andrew's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season. As for St. John Paul II Academy, they will welcome Katz Yeshiva at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Katz Yeshiva has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.