Basketball Game Preview: North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights vs. Cary Academy Chargers

The North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights will face off against the Cary Academy Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with North Raleigh Christian Academy sitting on three straight victories and Cary Academy on four.

Last Saturday, North Raleigh Christian Academy earned a 53-43 win over Metrolina Christian Academy.

North Raleigh Christian Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Brennen Jefferson led the charge by going 8 for 13 on his way to 19 points. The match was Jefferson's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Tristan Thompson was another key player, going 5 for 7 on his way to 10 points and seven rebounds.

North Raleigh Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cary Academy). They simply couldn't be stopped back in December of 2024 as they easily beat Carrboro 98-63. With the Chargers ahead 46-26 at the half, the game was all but over already.

Cary Academy's win came from a few key players North Raleigh Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Aidan Rousseau, who went 6 of 7 from beyond the arc on his way to 26 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. He is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last six games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Julian Tweedy, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 13 boards.

Cary Academy is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.7 points per game. As for North Raleigh Christian Academy, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.

North Raleigh Christian Academy ended up a good deal behind Cary Academy in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, losing 74-55. Can North Raleigh Christian Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.