Cornerstone Prep Academy will look to defend their home court on Monday against the Pinecrest Academy Paladins at 6:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Monday, Cornerstone Prep Academy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 60-55 to the Saints.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Ben Cobb, who scored 21 points along with five rebounds and two steals. He hasn't dropped below 16 points for 14 straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Stone, who scored 13 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Pinecrest Academy's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their sixth straight loss. They took a 64-59 hit to the loss column at the hands of Johnson Ferry Christian Academy.
Like Pinecrest Academy, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Joe Frain led the charge by dropping a double-double on 11 points and 16 rebounds. Jake Bohn was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Even though they lost, Pinecrest Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Cornerstone Prep Academy has not been sharp recently as the team's lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-9 record this season. As for Pinecrest Academy, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 5-13.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Cornerstone Prep Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Pinecrest Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Cornerstone Prep Academy couldn't quite finish off the Paladins in their previous meeting back in January and fell 74-71. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pinecrest Academy's Johnny Lynch, who scored 25 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. Now that Cornerstone Prep Academy knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
