Having just played yesterday, the Southland Christian FLAMES will get right back to it and host the Pathways Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Southland Christian is returning to their home court after beating The Rock on theirs, despite the fact The Rock has dominated at home this season. Southland Christian snuck past The Rock with an 83-77 win on Thursday. The victory was all the more spectacular given the FLAMES's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Lions are ranked 17th).
Carlos Escalera Jr.
| 02/06/25 @ The Rock | 22 |
| 01/31/25 vs Osceola | 22 |
| 01/23/25 vs DME Academy Gold | 24 |
Southland Christian can attribute much of their success to Sebastian Rivera, who went 10 of 15 on his way to 32 points and four blocks, and Carlos Escalera Jr., who went 8 for 13 en route to 22 points in addition to eight assists and eight rebounds. The matchup was Escalera Jr.'s third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ismael Perez, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 12 boards.
Southland Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Pathways earned a 69-61 win over Nazaret Christian Academy on Tuesday.
Pathways found their leader in sophomore Tarik Fadel Mula, who posted 23 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Fadel Mula has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of NaShon Wright, who scored ten points.
Southland Christian's victory bumped their record up to 21-3. As for Pathways, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Southland Christian hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 77.7 points per game. However, it's not like Pathways struggles in that department as they've been averaging 67 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Southland Christian and Pathways were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, but Southland Christian came up empty-handed after a 59-58 loss. Will Southland Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
