Basketball Game Preview: Lakeland Christian Vikings vs. Ridgeview Global Studies Academy Explorers

Lakeland Christian is 8-0 against Ridgeview Global Studies Academy since December of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Lakeland Christian Vikings will square off against the Ridgeview Global Studies Academy Explorers. Lakeland Christian's defense has only allowed 26.9 points per game this season, so Ridgeview Global Studies Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Last Friday, everything came up roses for Lakeland Christian against Frostproof as the team secured a 57-18 victory. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 contests by 20 points or more this season.

Lakeland Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Rudi Jessee led the charge by dropping a double-double on 15 points and 11 boards. Jessee has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times she's played. Khloe Overstreet was another key player, going 6 of 8 en route to 17 points.

Lakeland Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in January of 2024.

Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Ridgeview Global Studies Academy had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They managed a 22-16 win over the Hawks. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Explorers.

Lakeland Christian is also on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 20.1 points per game. As for Ridgeview Global Studies Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 6-14.

Everything came up roses for Lakeland Christian against Ridgeview Global Studies Academy in their previous matchup back in January, as the squad secured a 46-9 win. In that game, Lakeland Christian amassed a halftime lead of 38-3, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.