Basketball Game Preview: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy Patriots vs. Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers

Pineapple Cove Classical Academy hasn't had much luck against Melbourne Central Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Pineapple Cove Classical Academy Patriots will take on the Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers at 6:00 p.m.

Last Monday, 2025 welcomed Pineapple Cove Classical Academy with a 63-41 loss courtesy of Brevard Christian.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Samuel Welte, who posted 13 points and eight rebounds. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in blocks (two). Another player making a difference was Michael Barna, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Pineapple Cove Classical Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Central Catholic entered their tilt with Merritt Island Christian on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They secured a 44-40 W over the Cougars. The 44-point effort marked the Hustlers' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Melbourne Central Catholic pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Pineapple Cove Classical Academy, they now have a losing record at 4-5.

Pineapple Cove Classical Academy came up short against Melbourne Central Catholic in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 47-36. Can Pineapple Cove Classical Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.