Preview: Charlotte Elite Academy Soldiers vs. North Hills Christian Eagles
Having just played yesterday, the Charlotte Elite Academy Soldiers will jump right back in to play the North Hills Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Charlotte Elite Academy has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 585 points over their last eight matches.
Charlotte Elite Academy has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 27 points or more this season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Thursday as they easily beat McBee 85-45 on the road. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up nine more assists than your opponent, as Charlotte Elite Academy did.
Charlotte Elite Academy got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jared Taylor out in front who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 13 rebounds. The game was Taylor's ninth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jordan King, who scored 22 points.
Meanwhile, North Hills Christian had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Elevation Prep Academy on Thursday and snuck past 81-78. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
North Hills Christian had a senior duo take command as Champion Hayden dropped a double-double on 31 points and 18 rebounds and Jerrod Drye Jr. scored 22 points along with six assists and six rebounds. That makes it 14 consecutive games in which Hayden has scored at least 25% of North Hills Christian's points. Zachary Strickland was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Charlotte Elite Academy is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. As for North Hills Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 9-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Charlotte Elite Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for North Hills Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 34.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
