Basketball Preview: Malvern Prep Friars vs. Academy of the New Church Lions
Malvern Prep has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Academy of the New Church Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Tuesday, Malvern Prep was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 61-56 to the Patriots.
Meanwhile, Academy of the New Church waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with four straight wins but they left with five. They took down Westtown 66-48. Given Academy of the New Church's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the are ranked 89th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Academy of the New Church found their leader in underclassman Ryan Warren, who scored 19 points along with eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Nolan Waldon, who scored 14 points along with four steals.
Malvern Prep has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-7 record this season. As for Academy of the New Church, they pushed their record up to 17-4 with that win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.
Malvern Prep came out on top in a nail-biter against the Lions in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, sneaking past 65-63. The rematch might be a little tougher for Malvern Prep since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
