Basketball Game Preview: St. Joseph Hill Academy Hilltoppers vs. Notre Dame Academy Gators

The St. Joseph Hill Academy Hilltoppers and the Notre Dame Academy Gators will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Last Tuesday, St. Joseph Hill Academy came up short against St. Thomas Aquinas and fell 73-62. The Hilltoppers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Kennedy Catholic on Thursday, taking the game 53-44. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Gators.

Notre Dame Academy's win came from a few key players St. Joseph Hill Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ava Manzella, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 17 rebounds. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gianna Montagna, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 15 points.

Notre Dame Academy pushed their record up to 3-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points per game. As for St. Joseph Hill Academy, they now have a losing record at 1-2.

St. Joseph Hill Academy beat Notre Dame Academy 68-60 in their previous meeting back in February. Will St. Joseph Hill Academy repeat their success, or does Notre Dame Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.