Basketball Game Preview: Pathways Eagles vs. Southland Christian FLAMES

The Pathways Eagles will head out to challenge the Southland Christian FLAMES at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Last Tuesday, Pathways beat Nazaret Christian Academy 69-61.

Pathways found their leader in sophomore Tarik Fadel Mula, who posted 23 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Fadel Mula has scored all season. Another player making a difference was NaShon Wright, who had ten points.

The Rock typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Southland Christian proved too difficult a challenge. They secured an 83-77 W over the Lions. The win was all the more spectacular given the FLAMES's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Lions are ranked 17th).

Pathways better focus on containing Sebastian Rivera and Carlos Escalera Jr. as the pair were huge in Southland Christian's win. Rivera went 10 for 15 on his way to 32 points and four blocks, while Escalera Jr. went 8 of 13 en route to 22 points along with eight assists and eight boards. The contest was Escalera Jr.'s third in a row with at least ten points. Ismael Perez was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 12 rebounds.

Southland Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Southland Christian's victory bumped their record up to 21-3. As for Pathways, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Pathways hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 67 points per game. However, it's not like Southland Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 77.7 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Pathways barely slipped by Southland Christian in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, winning 59-58. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pathways since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.