Basketball Game Preview: Mater Academy Charter Lions vs. Palmetto Panthers

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Mater Academy Charter Lions challenge the Palmetto Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday... Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Palmetto will be up against a hot Mater Academy Charter team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Mater Academy Charter simply couldn't be stopped on Wednesday as they easily beat Hialeah Gardens 70-36. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 24 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Palmetto was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 66-62 to Miami Country Day. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 116th, while the Spartans are ranked 32nd).

Mater Academy Charter's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-11. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points per game. As for Palmetto, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-10 record this season.

Mater Academy Charter strolled past Palmetto in their previous meeting back in December of 2020 by a score of 81-62. Will Mater Academy Charter repeat their success, or does Palmetto have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.