Basketball Game Preview: Harding Academy Lions vs. Jackson Christian Eagles

The Harding Academy Lions will challenge the Jackson Christian Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Harding Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They really took it to St. George's for the full four quarters, racking up a 62-21 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Lions, who have now won five matches in a row.

Bella Rose Austin

Rebounds (Career)

02/17/25 vs St. George's	14
11/25/24 vs West Memphis	11
01/24/25 vs Memphis Home Education Association	8
01/17/25 vs St. George's	8
11/19/24 vs Sheffield	8

Harding Academy found their leader in sophomore Bella Rose Austin, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The dominant performance gave Austin a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Emory Miller, who went 7-for-11 en route to 14 points and eight rebounds.

Harding Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 30 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 15 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Jackson Christian was fully in charge last Tuesday, breezing past Fayette Academy 71-34. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 35 points or more this season.

Harding Academy pushed their record up to 19-5 with the win, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.6 points over those games. As for Jackson Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 19-9.

Harding Academy came up short against Jackson Christian when the teams last played back in December of 2021, falling 50-39. Can Harding Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.