Basketball Game Preview: Barron Collier Cougars vs. First Baptist Academy Lions

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Barron Collier Cougars face off against the First Baptist Academy Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday... Barron Collier knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully First Baptist Academy likes a good challenge.

On Tuesday, Barron Collier earned a 71-63 win over Gateway Charter. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Cougars' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 156th, while the Griffins are ranked 39th).

Meanwhile, First Baptist Academy came tearing into Friday's game with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Vikings by a score of 52-43.

First Baptist Academy pushed their record up to 22-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.9 points per game. As for Barron Collier, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season.

Barron Collier skirted past First Baptist Academy 51-48 when the teams last played back in January of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Barron Collier since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.