Preview: Jefferson Academy Jaguars vs. St. Mary's Academy Wildcats
Jefferson Academy is 8-2 against St. Mary's Academy since February of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Jefferson Academy Jaguars will head out on the road to face off against the St. Mary's Academy Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Hopefully Jefferson Academy focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Saturday.
On Saturday, Jefferson Academy ended up a good deal behind Peak to Peak and lost 44-25. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Jefferson Academy in their matchups with Peak to Peak: they've now lost four in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Elsa Nygren, who scored ten points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's Academy strolled past The Academy with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 50-33. The victory was just what St. Mary's Academy needed coming off of a 47-24 defeat in their prior match.
St. Mary's Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emily Rodriguez, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 22 rebounds. Rodriguez hasn't dropped below two blocks for eight straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabel Hernandez, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Jefferson Academy's loss dropped their record down to 13-7. As for St. Mary's Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Jefferson Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like St. Mary's Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 46.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Jefferson Academy against St. Mary's Academy in their previous matchup back in January of 2023 as the squad secured a 52-23 win. Does Jefferson Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Mary's Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
