The Pilgrim Academy hasn't had much luck against Atlantic Christian recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Pilgrim Academy Pioneers will look to defend their home court against the Atlantic Christian Cougars at 4:00 p.m. The Pilgrim Academy has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last five games.
The Pilgrim Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. Everything went their way against Pinelands Regional on Tuesday as The Pilgrim Academy made off with a 43-18 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Pioneers have posted since February 20, 2024.
The Pilgrim Academy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Coretta Kruse, who went 6 for 11 en route to 12 points and six boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Cosme, who posted five points and eight steals.
The Pilgrim Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 12 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Christian made easy work of Coventry Christian on Friday and carried off a 44-21 victory. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 219th in New Jersey, while Coventry Christian are ranked 659th in Pennsylvania), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The Pilgrim Academy better keep an eye on Gianna Flynn. She was instrumental in Atlantic Christian's win, putting up 18 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. Caelyn Domsic was another key player, posting eight points.
The Pilgrim Academy is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 4-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.5 points per game. As for Atlantic Christian, they now have a winning record of 6-5-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: The Pilgrim Academy has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Atlantic Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
The Pilgrim Academy ended up a good deal behind Atlantic Christian in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, losing 49-30. Will The Pilgrim Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
