Basketball Game Preview: The First Academy Royals vs. Oak Ridge Pioneers

The First Academy Royals will head out to take on the Oak Ridge Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The First Academy will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.

Last Tuesday, The First Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Bishop Moore, taking the game 66-56. Given the Royals' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 98th, while the Hornets are ranked 449th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

The First Academy can attribute much of their success to Demetrice McCray, who went 7 for 12 on his way to 22 points, and Corey Capps, who went 5 of 7 on his way to 17 points in addition to five boards and three steals. McCray is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Max Simmons, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Oak Ridge got the win against Colonial on Thursday by a conclusive 98-76. The Pioneers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 22 points or more this season.

The First Academy pushed their record up to 10-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points per game. As for Oak Ridge, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-5.

The First Academy took a serious blow against Oak Ridge in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 74-40. Can The First Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.