Basketball Game Preview: Rise Academy Guardians vs. Harrisonburg HomeSchool Lightning

The Rise Academy Guardians will face off against the Harrisonburg HomeSchool Lightning at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rise Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 17 games -- so hopefully Harrisonburg HomeSchool likes a good challenge.

On Tuesday, Rise Academy was able to grind out a solid win over The Carmel School, taking the game 70-63.

Rise Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trevonte Atkins, who posted 21 points and seven rebounds. The matchup was Atkins' fourth in a row with at least ten points. Nathaniel Seaborn was another key player, putting up 20 points and seven boards.

Rise Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now posted at least 23 assists in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Harrisonburg HomeSchool). They breezed by Chapelgate Christian Academy to the tune of 94-63 on Saturday. The Lightning have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 24 points or more this season.

Rise Academy pushed their record up to 12-5 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.9 points per game. As for Harrisonburg HomeSchool, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 13-10.

Rise Academy came up short against Harrisonburg HomeSchool in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 67-54. Can Rise Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.