Preview: Bell Creek Academy Panthers vs. Santa Fe Catholic Hawks
The Bell Creek Academy Panthers on the road again on Monday and play against the Santa Fe Catholic Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on January 22nd. Hopefully Bell Creek Academy is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Santa Fe Catholic in Florida (Bell Creek Academy is ranked 318th, while Santa Fe Catholic is ranked 652nd).
Even though Bell Creek Academy has not done well against Sarasota Christian recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. Bell Creek Academy put the hurt on Sarasota Christian with a sharp 53-29 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Bell Creek Academy has posted since November 28, 2023.
Bell Creek Academy found their leader in underclassman Christyana Allen, who scored 22 points along with seven rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which Allen has scored at least a third of Bell Creek Academy's points. Falynne Fischer was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe Catholic's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their 13th straight loss. They suffered a rough 42-16 loss at the hands of Fort Meade. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Santa Fe Catholic in their matchups with Fort Meade: they've now lost five in a row.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Santa Fe Catholic struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Bell Creek Academy now has a winning record of 10-9. As for Santa Fe Catholic, they bumped their record down to 1-14 with that loss, which was their ninth straight on the road.
Monday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Bell Creek Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 35.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Santa Fe Catholic, though, as they've been averaging only 22.7 rebounds per game. Given Bell Creek Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Santa Fe Catholic will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Bell Creek Academy against Santa Fe Catholic in their previous meeting back in November of 2023 as the squad secured a 61-17 victory. With Bell Creek Academy ahead 41-9 at the half, the match was all but over already.
