Basketball Game Preview: Foundation Christian Academy Panthers vs. Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors

The Foundation Christian Academy Panthers will face off against the Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Foundation Christian Academy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 50-45 to Florida College Academy.

Meanwhile, Zephyrhills Christian Academy had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29.5 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Tuesday. They managed a 59-55 win over the Mustangs. Given the Warriors' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 142nd, while the Mustangs are ranked 386th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy's win came from a few key players Foundation Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Garciano N'Tonha, who posted 18 points. N'Tonha is also crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Sansao Wika was another key player, putting up 13 points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive matchups.

Foundation Christian Academy has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-11 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.8 points per game. As for Zephyrhills Christian Academy, they pushed their record up to 16-4 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.

Foundation Christian Academy took a serious blow against Zephyrhills Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 88-43. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Foundation Christian Academy was down 51-14.