Basketball Game Preview: Taylor Wildcats vs. First Academy Eagles

Taylor is 2-8 against First Academy since January of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The two teams will face off at 6:00 p.m. without much rest having both just played. Taylor knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven contests -- so hopefully First Academy likes a good challenge.

Taylor is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Thursday as they easily beat Florida School for the Deaf & Blind 73-46. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 27 points or more this season.

James Thomas was his usual excellent self, going 6 of 15 on his way to 16 points along with five boards and five steals. The matchup was his sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Zachery McKinnon, who posted 12 points and four steals.

Taylor smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 15 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 56 points the game before, First Academy was a bit more limited in their game on Thursday. They had to suffer through a 61-28 loss at the hands of Geneva. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Eagles have suffered since December 5, 2023.

Taylor pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.3 points per game. As for First Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season.

Taylor beat First Academy 59-50 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Taylor since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.