Basketball Game Preview: Montverde Academy Eagles vs. IMG Academy Ascenders

The Montverde Academy Eagles will head out on the road to square off against the IMG Academy Ascenders at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Montverde Academy comes in on 15 and IMG Academy on eight.

Montverde Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: Central Pointe Christian Academy, who was ranked seventh at the time (Montverde Academy was ranked first). Montverde Academy blew past Central Pointe Christian Academy, posting a 77-30 victory. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 matches by 20 points or more this season.

Aaliyah Crump

Points (Career)

02/13/25 vs Central Pointe Christian Academy	20
02/01/25 vs Newman	19
01/31/25 vs Long Island Lutheran	18
01/24/25 vs Legion Preparatory Academy	17
01/17/25 vs Bradley Central	17

Saniyah Hall and Aaliyah Crump were among the main playmakers for Montverde Academy as the former posted 22 points in addition to five boards and three steals and the latter had 20 points and six rebounds. The dominant performance gave Crump a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Amaia Jackson, who earned seven points and seven assists.

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

Meanwhile, IMG Academy got the win against Academy of Central Florida two weeks ago by a conclusive 62-41. The Ascenders are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the ninth game they've won by 20+ points this season.

IMG Academy's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.3 points over those games. As for Montverde Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 22-1.

Montverde Academy was able to grind out a solid win over IMG Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 61-53. Does Montverde Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will IMG Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.