Basketball Game Preview: Academy of the New Church Lions vs. Barrack Hebrew Academy Cougars

Having just played yesterday, the Academy of the New Church Lions will get right back to it and host the Barrack Hebrew Academy Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Academy of the New Church is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.

It was a proper cat-fight when Academy of the New Church faced off against George School on Wednesday. Academy of the New Church took a 78-72 hit to the loss column at the hands of George School. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Monday (68), the Lions still had to take the loss.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Dior Carter, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds. Those 18 points gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Cameron Smith, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 15 points and five boards.

Even though they lost, Academy of the New Church smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in nine consecutive games.

Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Barrack Hebrew Academy over Kimberton Waldorf in every quarter on their way to victory last Wednesday. Barrack Hebrew Academy was the clear victor by a 50-29 margin over Kimberton Waldorf. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.

Academy of the New Church's defeat dropped their record down to 11-9. As for Barrack Hebrew Academy, their win bumped their record up to 5-6.

Everything came up roses for Academy of the New Church against Barrack Hebrew Academy in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, as the team secured an 82-26 victory. In that contest, Academy of the New Church amassed a halftime lead of 43-11, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.