The Wake Prep Academy Guardians will head out to challenge the Franklin Academy Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Wake Prep Academy has three straight wins, Franklin Academy has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
On Tuesday, Wake Prep Academy had just enough and edged Falls Lake out 43-40.
| 01/14/25 vs Falls Lake | 8 |
| 01/08/25 @ Raleigh Charter | 7 |
| 12/27/24 @ Martin County | 7 |
| 12/26/24 @ North Johnston | 3 |
| 12/16/24 @ St. Thomas More Academy | 7 |
Wake Prep Academy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Karly Beckstrand, who posted four points in addition to 11 boards and eight steals. Beckstrand is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Olivia Langton, who had 13 points and five rebounds.
Wake Prep Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Franklin Academy suffered their biggest loss since November 12, 2024 on Tuesday. They came up short against North Johnston, falling 49-29. While losing is never fun, the Patriots can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 323rd, while the Panthers are ranked 81st).
Despite the defeat, Franklin Academy saw an underclassman step up: freshman Bella DeLiso posted eight points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Iliana Rodriguez, who had seven points and nine boards.
Franklin Academy's loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for Wake Prep Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 9-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Wake Prep Academy has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Franklin Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Wake Prep Academy couldn't quite finish off Franklin Academy in their previous matchup back in November of 2022 and fell 29-27. Can Wake Prep Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
