The American Patriots will face off against the Southridge Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Southridge is hoping to do what South Miami couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to American's winning streak, which now stands at six games. American blew past South Miami, posting an 83-54 win. The Patriots' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Derrius Black
| 12/10/24 vs South Miami | 22 |
| 12/03/24 vs Hialeah Gardens | 13 |
| 11/29/24 vs Specially Fit Academy Blue | 13 |
| 11/19/24 vs West Broward | 12 |
| 01/23/24 vs Miami Beach | 11 |
Derrius Black was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 16 boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Angel Torres, who went 8 of 15 on his way to 19 points.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Southridge, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. Everything went their way against True North Classical Academy on Tuesday as Southridge made off with a 65-42 victory.
Southridge's win came from a few key players American will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was DeAndre Hardy, who went 6 of 12 on his way to 16 points and five assists. He has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was O?Cien Valdes, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine boards.
Southridge pushed their record up to 5-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 36.6 points. As for American, their victory bumped their record up to 6-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as American and Southridge are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. American hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 69.3 points per game. However, it's not like Southridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 69.8 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
American came up short against Southridge in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 61-51. Will American have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
