The Providence Grove Patriots and the Leadership Academy Falcons will face off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday without much rest having both just played. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Providence Grove took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up 2024 than the 66-12 stomp they got against River Mill. That looming 66-12 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Patriots yet this season.
| 12/27/24 vs River Mill | 15 |
| 12/19/24 @ North Stanly | 17 |
| 12/18/24 vs East Davidson | 20 |
Providence Grove's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Andrew Thomas, who almost dropped a double-double on 15 points and nine steals. Thomas' afternoon made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Stephen Beeson, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards.
Providence Grove smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Leadership Academy put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their game with ease, bagging an 86-43 win over South Davidson. The Falcons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 29 points or more this season.
Providence Grove better focus on containing Landon Burleyson and Caden Ryker as the pair were huge in Leadership Academy's win. Burleyson went 11 of 23 on his way to 27 points and three steals, while Ryker went 9 of 11 on his way to 19 points in addition to eight boards and four steals. Those 27 points gave Burleyson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Foster, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 boards.
Providence Grove has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a massive bump to their 5-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.3 points per game. As for Leadership Academy, they pushed their record up to 9-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Providence Grove has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Leadership Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Providence Grove came out on top in a nail-biter against Leadership Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, sneaking past 58-55. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Leadership Academy's Will Martin, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for Providence Grove to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
