Basketball Game Preview: Walnut Ridge Scots vs. Eastmoor Academy Warriors

Walnut Ridge is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Eastmoor Academy is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Walnut Ridge Scots will host the Eastmoor Academy Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Walnut Ridge's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last eight matchups.

Walnut Ridge is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Briggs: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Walnut Ridge blew Briggs out of the water with an 89-54 final score. The Scots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 32 points or more this season.

Walnut Ridge got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Marquis Lucas out in front who went 7 for 13 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven boards and six steals. That's the most rebounds Lucas has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jahleel Wakeel, who went 9 of 11 en route to 20 points.

Meanwhile, Eastmoor Academy unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 64-52 to South.

Walnut Ridge will need focus on slowing down Phonie Simpkins, one of several Eastmoor Academy players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 14 points. The team also got some help courtesy of JD Broomfield, who went 5 for 7 on his way to 11 points.

Eastmoor Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Walnut Ridge, their victory bumped their record up to 11-3.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Walnut Ridge hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 71 points per game. However, it's not like Eastmoor Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 55.3 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Everything came up roses for Walnut Ridge against Eastmoor Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured an 80-48 win. Will Walnut Ridge repeat their success, or does Eastmoor Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.