Founders Classical Academy hasn't had much luck against Needles recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Founders Classical Academy Centurions will head out to square off against the Needles Mustangs at 3:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Founders Classical Academy sitting on eight straight wins and Needles on 26 (dating back to last season).
On Friday, Founders Classical Academy earned a 53-45 victory over Laughlin.
| 11/29/24 vs Spring Mountain | 10 |
| 01/31/25 vs Laughlin | 9 |
| 12/05/24 vs Adelson | 9 |
| 01/14/25 @ Adelson | 8 |
| 12/06/24 @ Lake Mead Christian Academy | 7 |
It was another big night for Adam Bruning, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine boards. That's the most rebounds he has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Mazza, who posted 13 points.
Meanwhile, Needles didn't have too much trouble with Awaken Christian on Friday as they won 61-42. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 14th in California, while the Lions are ranked 79th in Nevada), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Needles' win came from a few key players Founders Classical Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Darrell Russell, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 boards. He has been hot recently, having posted ten or more rebounds the last four times he's played. Luca Walema was another key player, going 7 for 16 en route to 18 points along with seven boards and three blocks.
Needles smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive matches.
Needles' win was their tenth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 24-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.3 points. As for Founders Classical Academy, their record is now 18-3.
Founders Classical Academy took a serious blow against Needles when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 75-21. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Founders Classical Academy was down 45-16.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
