Basketball Game Preview: Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders vs. Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks

The Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders will venture away from home to face off against the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Monroe-Woodbury is headed into the match having just suffered their closest loss since February 5, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Valley Central by a score of 51-48.

Meanwhile, Newburgh Free Academy entered their tilt with Yonkers on Friday with two consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Bulldogs, posting a 78-41 win. Given the Goldbacks' advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 193rd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 774th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Newburgh Free Academy's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.8 points over those games. As for Monroe-Woodbury, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.

Monroe-Woodbury skirted past Newburgh Free Academy 48-46 when the teams last played back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monroe-Woodbury since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.