The Monsignor Pace Spartans will venture away from home to take on the Don Soffer Aventura Barracuda at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Monsignor Pace is coming into the match on a six-game losing streak.
On Saturday, Monsignor Pace was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 46-45 to Palm Beach Central. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 587th, while the Broncos are ranked 92nd).
| 01/18/25 vs Palm Beach Central | 17 |
| 01/06/25 @ Somerset Academy (Silver Palms) | 12 |
| 01/17/25 @ Mater Lakes Academy | 9 |
| 01/11/25 @ Bishop Verot | 7 |
| 12/20/24 @ Cardinal Newman | 7 |
Despite the loss, Monsignor Pace had strong showings from Kris Delva, who went 7 of 15 on his way to 17 points and five rebounds, and Jamaal Gibson, Jr, who went 5 for 10 en route to 13 points and six boards. Those 17 points gave Delva a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Teagan Jordan, who posted no points along with six boards and three blocks.
Meanwhile, after a string of eight wins, Don Soffer Aventura's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They took a blow against Pine Crest, falling 81-45. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Barracuda have suffered since January 31, 2024.
Monsignor Pace will need focus on slowing down Tom Sela, one of several Don Soffer Aventura players who made an impact when they last played. He scored ten points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ocean Nahum, who earned 12 points.
Monsignor Pace's loss dropped their record down to 2-17. As for Don Soffer Aventura, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Monsignor Pace has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Don Soffer Aventura struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Monsignor Pace didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Don Soffer Aventura when the teams last played back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 68-62 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monsignor Pace since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
