Even though the Ezekiel Academy Knights have not done well against the East Central HomeSchool Patriots recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Ezekiel Academy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 41-38 victory over East Central HomeSchool. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Ezekiel Academy has posted since November 3, 2023.
Leading Ezekiel Academy to victory were Addi Newell and Gianna Johnson. Newell scored 17 points along with two blocks, while Johnson scored 18 points along with nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Johnson has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Abbie Dunlap, who scored four points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Despite the loss, East Central HomeSchool still got an impressive performance from Micah Coalson, who shot 5-for-9 from deep and dropped a double-double on 27 points and ten rebounds. Coalson also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Hannah Bankston was another key contributor, scoring six points along with five rebounds.
Ezekiel Academy is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. As for East Central HomeSchool, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2.
Ezekiel Academy will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Tuscaloosa Home Educators at 6:00 p.m. Tuscaloosa Home Educators is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak. East Central HomeSchool will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against Providence Classical at 5:00 p.m. on January 12th. Providence Classical will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Alabama Rankings (they are ranked 323rd, while East Central HomeSchool is ranked 113th).
