The Menendez Falcons will challenge the Bishop Kenny Crusaders on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Menendez is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They skirted past Paxon School For Advanced Studies 61-59.
Sophia Scibelli
| 02/04/25 vs Paxon School For Advanced Studies | 20 |
| 01/29/25 vs Ponte Vedra | 15 |
| 01/24/25 vs Palatka | 31 |
| 01/21/25 @ Matanzas | 27 |
| 01/20/25 @ ED White | 23 |
| 01/14/25 @ Atlantic | 26 |
Menendez's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Sophia Scibelli, who almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. Scibelli's evening made it six games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Jakayla Newsome was another key player, putting up 16 points and five steals.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kenny came tearing into Tuesday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.4 points) and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 58-20 victory over the Wildcats. The Crusaders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 matches by 22 points or more this season.
Menendez better focus on containing Abby Baker and Kathleen Crawley as the pair were huge in Bishop Kenny's win. Baker went 7 for 11 on her way to 15 points along with seven boards and three steals, while Crawley went 6 of 9 en route to 18 points. Baker has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Reese Mayer, who posted six points and seven assists.
Bishop Kenny smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.
Bishop Kenny pushed their record up to 22-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 14.7 points per game. As for Menendez, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Menendez has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 28.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Bishop Kenny struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Menendez was dealt a bruising 68-16 defeat at the hands of Bishop Kenny in their previous meeting back in February of 2021. Can Menendez avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
