Preview: Jefferson Academy Jaguars vs. Kent Denver Sun Devils
Jefferson Academy has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Kent Denver Sun Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Jefferson Academy will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 172nd, while Kent Denver is ranked 11th).
Jefferson Academy struggled with assists on Saturday (Stargate School had ten more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Jefferson Academy took a 51-38 hit to the loss column at the hands of Stargate School. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Jefferson Academy has scored all season.
Despite the defeat, Jefferson Academy had strong showings from Jimeto Orji, who scored nine points along with six rebounds, and Josh Neely, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds.
Jefferson Academy struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Kent Denver entered their tilt with Peak to Peak with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. Kent Denver strolled past Peak to Peak with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 77-63. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Kent Denver's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Elvis Lloyd, who scored 19 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Lloyd has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Caleb Fay, who scored 22 points.
Jefferson Academy's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 7-4. As for Kent Denver, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-1.
Monday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Jefferson Academy have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 45.9% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Kent Denver struggles in that department as they've nailed 40.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Jefferson Academy might still be hurting after the 94-73 defeat they got from Kent Denver in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Thankfully for Jefferson Academy, Ethan Levin (who went 8 for 15 from beyond the arc en route to 28 points and 6 assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
