Preview: Spencer Greenwave vs. Academy for Classical Education Gryphons
The Spencer Greenwave will be playing at home against the Academy for Classical Education Gryphons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Spencer will be looking to keep their 18-game home win streak (dating back to last season) alive.
Last Tuesday, Spencer didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Central, but they still walked away with a 57-51 win. Given Spencer's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 126th, while Central is ranked 415th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Spencer's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Demarcus Horne, who scored 11 points along with four steals. Another player making a difference was Joe Dozier, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Academy for Classical Education's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their seventh straight loss. They took a 65-61 hit to the loss column at the hands of Rutland. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Despite the loss, Academy for Classical Education saw an underclassman step up: Camden Bailey scored 24 points. That's the first time this season that Bailey scored 15 or more points. Kanyin Oni was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with ten rebounds and three blocks.
Spencer's victory bumped their record up to 13-1. As for Academy for Classical Education, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's matchup: Spencer have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 7.4 threes per game. It's a different story for Academy for Classical Education, though, as they've been averaging only 5.1 threes per game. Given Spencer's sizeable advantage in that area, Academy for Classical Education will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Spencer against Academy for Classical Education in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as the squad secured a 96-41 win. Will Spencer repeat their success, or does Academy for Classical Education have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
