Basketball Game Preview: Friends' Central vs. Academy of the New Church Lions

Friends' Central will take on the Academy of the New Church Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Friends' Central is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.9 points per game this season.

Friends' Central is headed into the game having just posted their closest victory since February 6, 2024 last Saturday. It was close, but they capped 2024 with a 50-47 win over Chambersburg. The victory was all the more spectacular given Friends' Central's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 177th, while Chambersburg is ranked 19th).

Gabe Moore was his usual excellent self, going 8 of 11 en route to 23 points. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 15.2 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Boyer, who posted six points and six steals.

Meanwhile, Academy of the New Church greeted the New Year with with a 76-57 win over Timber Creek Regional. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.

Academy of the New Church is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.3 points per game. As for Friends' Central, their victory bumped their record up to 6-9.

Friends' Central lost to Academy of the New Church at home by a decisive 64-50 margin in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Friends' Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.