The First Academy proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 23) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 60-57 victory over the Tate Aggies.
It was another big night for Max Simmons, who posted 19 points and five rebounds. Ryder Devoe also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.
Royals
| 02/08/24 vs Foundation Academy | 21 |
| 12/19/23 @ Lake Mary | 19 |
| 01/24/24 @ Orangewood Christian | 19 |
| 12/21/23 vs Tampa Catholic | 18 |
| 01/31/24 vs Melbourne | 18 |
The First Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Despite the defeat, Tate had strong showings from Jaquan Mcdonald, who earned 19 points and seven boards, and Kyle Shirley, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 15 points and five rebounds. Those five boards gave Shirley a new career-high. Conner Bignell was another key player, putting up five points.
The First Academy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points per game. As for Tate, their loss dropped their record down to 12-9.
The First Academy wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 61-51 defeat against Lake Highland Prep on the 21st. As for Tate, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 60-50 win against Niceville on the 28th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
