The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes will face off against the Foundation Christian Academy Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Foundation Christian Academy better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when Bishop McLaughlin Catholic really get things going. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic was the clear victor by a 73-53 margin over Hernando Christian Academy on Thursday. Given the Hurricanes' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 357th, while the Lions are ranked 739th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/09/25 vs Hernando Christian Academy | 8 |
| 01/08/25 @ Academy at the Lakes | 1 |
| 01/07/25 @ Keswick Christian | 1 |
| 12/27/24 vs Hernando | 3 |
| 12/20/24 vs Seven Rivers Christian | 2 |
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jacob Mekdeci, who went 6 for 11 from beyond the arc on his way to 23 points in addition to eight steals and six assists. With that strong performance, Mekdeci is now averaging an impressive 2.4 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Bell, who went 6 of 9 on his way to 19 points and four steals.
Mekdeci wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in January of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Foundation Christian Academy). They took their matchup on Monday with ease, bagging a 79-40 win over Lakeside Christian. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 25 points or more this season.
Foundation Christian Academy's win came from a few key players Bishop McLaughlin Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Caleb Hagan, who posted 23 points in addition to six boards and four blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Calvin Griffin, who put up 19 points and six boards.
Foundation Christian Academy is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 8-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.1 points per game. As for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Foundation Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic took their win against Foundation Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in January of 2024 by a conclusive 65-44. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Foundation Christian Academy's Micah Sanders, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 boards. Now that he won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be easier for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
