Preview: Air Academy Kadets vs. Lutheran Lions
The Air Academy Kadets will head out on the road to face off against the Lutheran Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Air Academy was handed a 30-point loss in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Palmer Ridge on Tuesday. Air Academy skirted past Palmer Ridge 53-51. The victory was just what Air Academy needed coming off of a 65-35 defeat in their prior game.
Air Academy relied on the efforts of Max Howery, who scored 14 points along with six steals and five assists, and Noah Hellem, who scored 26 points along with three steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which Hellem has scored at least a third of Air Academy's points. Tommy Tygart was another key contributor, scoring three points.
Meanwhile, Lutheran had already won 12 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.6 points), and they went ahead and made it 13 on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Lewis-Palmer with a sharp 72-46 victory. Lutheran has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 26 points or more this season.
Lutheran's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Hunter Caldwell, who shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 21 points and 18 rebounds. Caldwell hasn't dropped below 15points for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Braydon Jacob, who scored 22 points.
Air Academy has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-11 record this season. As for Lutheran, they pushed their record up to 13-2 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home.
Thursday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Air Academy have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Lutheran struggles in that department as they've nailed 50.8% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went Air Academy's way against Lutheran in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as Air Academy made off with a 79-57 victory. Does Air Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lutheran turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
