The Bell Creek Academy Panthers will square off against the Hawthorne Hornets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bell Creek Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Hawthorne likes a good challenge.
Last Tuesday, Bell Creek Academy didn't have too much breathing room in their game against IMG Academy Black, but they still walked away with a 79-74 victory. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 151st, while the Ascenders are ranked 427th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lyrique Sartin
| 01/21/25 @ IMG Academy Black | 31 |
| 01/17/25 vs Lake Wales | 27 |
| 01/16/25 @ McKeel Academy | 28 |
| 01/09/25 vs Strawberry Crest | 17 |
| 01/07/25 vs Victory Christian Academy | 19 |
Bell Creek Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lyrique Sartin led the charge by going 10 of 19 on his way to 31 points along with eight boards and seven assists. The matchup was Sartin's 18th in a row with at least ten points. Josiah Payne was another key player, dropping a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds.
Bell Creek Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.
North Marion typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Hawthorne proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Colts, sneaking past 64-61. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Hornets have posted since December 27, 2024.
Hawthorne's win came from a few key players Bell Creek Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dacarion Debose, who posted 15 points in addition to five assists and five boards. He is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Chasion Wilson, who went 6 for 7 en route to 15 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
The victory made it two in a row for Hawthorne and bumps their season record up to 10-2. As for Bell Creek Academy, their win bumped their record up to 13-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Bell Creek Academy hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 67 points per game. However, it's not like Hawthorne struggles in that department as they've been averaging 60 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
