Basketball Game Preview: Providence Athletic Club Panthers vs. Wardlaw Academy Patriots

The Providence Athletic Club Panthers will take on the Wardlaw Academy Patriots in a holiday battle at 7:00 p.m. on Monday at. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Providence Athletic Club is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Northside Christian Academy on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Providence Athletic Club was dealt a 100-59 defeat at the hands of Northside Christian Academy. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 59-27.

Providence Athletic Club's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Freeman Bult, who went 10 of 18 en route to 24 points, and Mark Lara, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 23 points. With that strong performance, Bult is now averaging an impressive 16.4 points per game.

Meanwhile, Wardlaw Academy scored the most points they've had this season on Monday, but it wasn't enough. They took a 72-61 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mead Hall Episcopal School.

Defeat or not, Wardlaw Academy got some senior leadership from Colt Bailey and Noah Harper. Bailey went 8 for 18 on his way to 21 points in addition to seven boards and three steals, while Harper posted 24 points. Bailey is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Resse Harper, who put up ten points along with seven assists and six boards.

Wardlaw Academy's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Providence Athletic Club, their defeat was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 4-6.

Everything came up roses for Providence Athletic Club against Wardlaw Academy in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, as the team secured a 73-31 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Harper, who posted 16 points. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Providence Athletic Club still be able to contain Harper? There's only one way to find out.