Preview: North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights vs. Durham Academy Cavaliers
North Raleigh Christian Academy is 2-8 against Durham Academy since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Durham Academy Cavaliers at 7:45 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
North Raleigh Christian Academy posted their biggest victory since December 1, 2023 on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Oak Forest 74-37 at home. The victory made it back-to-back wins for North Raleigh Christian Academy.
North Raleigh Christian Academy relied on the efforts of Jayse Buckley, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds, and Brennen Jefferson, who scored 15 points along with six rebounds and five assists. That's the first time this season that Buckley scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cody Dickerson, who scored 12 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, even though Oak Ridge Military Academy scored an imposing 61 points on Wednesday, Durham Academy still came out on top. Durham Academy managed a 67-61 win over Oak Ridge Military Academy. The win was all the more spectacular given Durham Academy's disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 216th, while Oak Ridge Military Academy is ranked 47th).
Durham Academy's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was JJ Wilcox, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds. Joshua Dorsette II was another key contributor, scoring 18 points.
North Raleigh Christian Academy's record is now 10-7. Durham Academy's record is now 12-10.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Jefferson and Wilcox. Jefferson has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 14.4 points, 2.2 steals, and 4 rebounds. For his part, Wilcox has averaged 10.6 points, 1.1 steals, and 5.9 rebounds.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's contest: North Raleigh Christian Academy have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 4.4 threes per game. It's a different story for Durham Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 6.4 threes per game. Given North Raleigh Christian Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Durham Academy will need to find a way to close that gap. Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
