Preview: St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders vs. Miami Beach Hi-Tides
Two dominant guards in Drake (DJ) Sandi and Isaiah Lieberperson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Miami Beach Hi-Tides at 8:30 p.m. on January 18th. Hopefully St. Thomas Aquinas is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Miami Beach in Florida (St. Thomas Aquinas is ranked ninth, while Miami Beach is ranked 263rd).
Last Monday, St. Thomas Aquinas was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 55-51 to North Broward Prep.
Despite their defeat, St. Thomas Aquinas saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Clarence Westbrook Jr., who scored 14 points along with two steals, was perhaps the best of all. Sandi was another key contributor, scoring five points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Meanwhile, Miami Beach waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with four straight wins but they left with five. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Booker T. Washington and snuck past 52-50. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Miami Beach has posted yet this season.
St. Thomas Aquinas' loss dropped their record down to 15-5. As for Miami Beach, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-2.
St. Thomas Aquinas strolled past Miami Beach in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a score of 63-48. Will St. Thomas Aquinas repeat their success, or does Miami Beach have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
