Basketball Game Preview: John Bartram Braves vs. Central Lancers

The John Bartram Braves will challenge the Central Lancers at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. John Bartram will be strutting in after a win while Central will be coming in after a loss.

John Bartram is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They strolled past Hill Freedman World Academy with points to spare last Thursday, taking the game 70-53.

John Bartram got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Anthony Pannell out in front who posted 27 points. That makes it four consecutive games in which Pannell has scored at least a third of the Braves' points. Another player making a difference was Mohamed Kaba, who earned 17 points.

Meanwhile, Central was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They had to suffer through a 68-29 loss at the hands of Carver High School of Engineering & Science. While losing is never fun, the Lancers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 684th, while Carver High School of Engineering & Science are ranked 34th).

Central's loss dropped their record down to 2-14. As for John Bartram, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-14.

John Bartram was able to grind out a solid victory over Central in their previous meeting back in January of 2025, winning 54-43. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Lancers' Christopher Brown, who almost dropped a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Monday, will it be easier for the Braves to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.