Basketball Recap: First Baptist Academy Takes a Loss

First Baptist Academy and Evangelical Christian squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but First Baptist Academy had to settle for second. They came up short against the Evangelical Christian Sentinels, falling 59-35. The Lions haven't had much luck with the Sentinels recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Despite the loss, First Baptist Academy still got an impressive performance from Zara Leilani Stewart, who posted 12 points and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Laila Stewart, who scored seven points and six rebounds.

Even though they lost, First Baptist Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Nalah Smith was her usual excellent self, dropping a triple-double with 22 points, 13 boards, and ten blocks for Evangelical Christian. What's more, Smith also posted a 90% shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's achieved since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Areille Marc, who went 5-for-8 on her way to 14 points.

First Baptist Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 20-7. As for Evangelical Christian, the win was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 22-7.

First Baptist Academy does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Evangelical Christian, they will face off against Miami Country Day at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Evangelical Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Miami Country Day likes a good challenge.