Basketball Game Preview: Palm Beach Central Broncos vs. Cardinal Newman Crusaders

The Palm Beach Central Broncos just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Cardinal Newman Crusaders at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Palm Beach Central will head into Thursday's game having proved themselves against Boynton Beach: Palm Beach Central took a 29-point defeat the last time they faced off against Boynton Beach, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Palm Beach Central had just enough and edged Boynton Beach out 49-46. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Broncos have posted since January 2, 2024.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cardinal Newman, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Somerset College Prep Academy 60-57. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Crusaders as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Cardinal Newman's win came from a few key players Palm Beach Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Katie Kent, who went 10 of 18 on her way to 27 points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Noelle Coyne, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 boards.

Cardinal Newman smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 27 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Somerset College Prep Academy only pulled down seven offensive boards.

Cardinal Newman's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-9. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.7 points per game. As for Palm Beach Central, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-9.

Palm Beach Central didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Cardinal Newman in their previous meeting back in January of 2021, but they still walked away with a 51-46 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Cardinal Newman's Checorey Bouie, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 20 boards. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Palm Beach Central to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.