Central Christian hasn't had much luck against West Florida Baptist Academy recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Central Christian Saints will venture away from home to face off against the West Florida Baptist Academy Conquerors at 6:00 p.m. Central Christian's defense has only allowed 25.8 points per game this season, so West Florida Baptist Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Last Saturday, Central Christian was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 42-37 to Pensacola Christian Academy.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Hayes Turner, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and ten rebounds. Marissa Lagarrigue was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to eight boards and three steals.
Even though they lost, Central Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, West Florida Baptist Academy had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They beat Santa Rosa Christian on Saturday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 79-33. The Conquerors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 17 games by 23 points or more this season.
Central Christian better keep an eye on Bryse Burkett. She was instrumental in West Florida Baptist Academy's win, shooting 4-for-6 from long range and almost dropping a double-double with 24 points and nine steals. What's more, Burkett also posted a 67% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's achieved since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Olivia Pearce, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
The victory (which was West Florida Baptist Academy's tenth in a row) raised their record to 23-5. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.1 points over those games. As for Central Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 21-3.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Ayden Lippincott and Burkett. Lippincott has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 13.6 points, 3.4 steals, and 3.3 assists. For her part, Burkett has averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 steals, and 3.1 assists.
Central Christian took a serious blow against West Florida Baptist Academy when the teams last played back in November of 2024, falling 72-44. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Burkett, who went 7-for-16 on her way to 17 points along with five boards and three steals. Now that Central Christian knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
