The Dover Dragons will face off against the Mount Academy Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Dover has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Mount Academy will arrive with seven straight wins.
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 76-28, which was the final score in Dover's tilt against Onteora on Tuesday. The contest marked the Dragons' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Despite their loss, Dover saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Caden Green, who posted eight points and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaheim Dixon, who earned ten points.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Mount Academy on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 70-56 victory over Millbrook. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 238th, while the Blazers are ranked 525th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mount Academy's win came from a few key players Dover will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jake Maendel, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine boards. His evening made it nine games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Bruce Maendel, who went 9 of 21 on his way to 26 points and six assists.
Mount Academy's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 22 points. As for Dover, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Dover has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Mount Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Dover came up short against Mount Academy when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 49-44. Will Dover have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
