Basketball Game Preview: Asheville Christian Academy Lions vs. Carolina Day Wildcats

A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Lions face off against the Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Friday, Asheville Christian Academy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 43-38 to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 203rd in North Carolina, while the Eagles are ranked 63rd in Georgia).

Sara Larios

Points

02/07/25 vs Rabun Gap-Nacoochee	18
02/04/25 vs Greenville H	16
02/03/25 vs Tri-Cities Christian	33
01/31/25 vs Brevard	18
01/30/25 vs High Point Christian Academy	15
+ 4 more games

Sara Larios put forth a good effort for the losing side as she posted 18 points. The match was her ninth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Laura Rinehart, who had six points and five boards.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Carolina Day). They blew past Hickory Christian Academy, posting a 73-34 victory. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 20 points or more this season.

Carolina Day's win came from a few key players Asheville Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Keana Smith, who dropped a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds. She is becoming a predictor of Carolina Day's success: when she posts at least ten boards the team is 14-3 (and 2-4 when she doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Layla Hunter, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds.

This is the second loss in a row for Asheville Christian Academy and nudges their season record down to 12-11. As for Carolina Day, their win bumped their record up to 16-7.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Asheville Christian Academy has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 25 boards per game. However, it's not like Carolina Day struggles in that department as they've been averaging 44.3 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Asheville Christian Academy took their victory against Carolina Day when the teams last played back in January by a conclusive 71-47. Will Asheville Christian Academy repeat their success, or does Carolina Day have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.