Preview: First Academy Eagles vs. Meadowbrook Academy Mustangs
Two dominant guards in Amari Smith and Tico Smith are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The First Academy Eagles and the Meadowbrook Academy Mustangs will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 25th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Meadowbrook Academy took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on First Academy, who comes in off a win.
Last Tuesday, First Academy beat Hampden DuBose Academy 51-41. The win made it back-to-back wins for First Academy.
Smith was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 18 points and 19 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Bryce Norflee was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Meadowbrook Academy pushed their score all the way to 66 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 67-66 to Real Life Christian Academy. Meadowbrook Academy found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and rack up 19 fewer assists than your opponent.
Meadowbrook Academy's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Zach Ross, who scored 20 points along with nine steals and seven rebounds, and Smith who scored 29 points along with two steals. That was a full 43.9% of Meadowbrook Academy's points, marking the 13th time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Gaige Daugherty, who scored seven points along with six assists and six rebounds.
First Academy pushed their record up to 8-9 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points per game. As for Meadowbrook Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-7.
Thursday's matchup is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: First Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Meadowbrook Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
First Academy came up short against Meadowbrook Academy when the teams last played back in November of 2023, falling 61-53. Will First Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
