Basketball Game Preview: Palmetto Scholars Academy Phoenix vs. St. John's Islanders

Palmetto Scholars Academy hasn't had much luck against St. John recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Palmetto Scholars Academy Phoenix will challenge the St. John's Islanders at 7:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Palmetto Scholars Academy is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Tuesday. The contest between them and Branchville didn't end well, with Palmetto Scholars Academy falling 56-41.

Palmetto Scholars Academy's loss came about despite a quality game from Michael King, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. King has been hot recently, having posted nine or more boards the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jesse Murray, who posted five points and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, St. John's was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 19th straight defeat. They were dealt an 80-38 loss at the hands of Charleston Math & Science. While losing is never fun, the Islanders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 301st, while the Riptide are ranked 112th).

Palmetto Scholars Academy's record is now 4-15. As for St. John's, their record now sits at 1-20.

Palmetto Scholars Academy beat St. John's 60-48 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Palmetto Scholars Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.