Basketball Recap: JP Polburn's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Socrates Academy over Grace Academy

Socrates Academy lost against Grace Academy back in November of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Monday. The Socrates Academy Owls took a hard 80-63 fall against the Grace Academy Lions. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Owls came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 70th, while the Lions are ranked 325th).

Socrates Academy's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was JP Polburn, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 18 boards. Polburn is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least ten every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Kinston Swann, who posted 14 points in addition to five boards and three steals.

Grace Academy found their leader in sophomore Tyrez Neal, who had 21 points and seven assists. The dominant performance gave Neal a new career-high in points. Carson Payne was another key player, putting up 13 points and four steals.

This is the second loss in a row for Socrates Academy and nudges their season record down to 2-4. As for Grace Academy, their record is now 18-6.

Socrates Academy will take on UR Academy at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. UR Academy will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something Socrates Academy surely won't give up without a fight. As for Grace Academy, they will challenge Jackson Day at 5:00 p.m. on February 10th.