The Fort Meade Miners will take on the Ridgeview Global Studies Academy Explorers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
On Friday, Fort Meade opened the new year with a less-than-successful 50-42 defeat to McKeel Academy. The loss continues a trend for the Miners in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now lost six in a row.
| 01/03/25 vs McKeel Academy | 5 |
| 01/16/24 @ Vanguard | 3 |
| 01/12/24 vs Frostproof | 3 |
| 11/29/23 vs All Saints' Academy | 3 |
| 12/19/24 @ George Jenkins | 2 |
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Mekhi Berrien, who posted 12 points in addition to seven boards and five steals. Those five steals gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nasier Berrien, who had 11 points and four steals.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ridgeview Global Studies Academy). Everything went their way against Orlando Science back in December of 2024 as Ridgeview Global Studies Academy made off with a 65-43 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Explorers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy's win came from a few key players Fort Meade will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jordan Williamson, who went 5 of 6 on his way to 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Travis Babers, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards.
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy's victory bumped their record up to 2-6. As for Fort Meade, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Fort Meade has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ridgeview Global Studies Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Fort Meade against Ridgeview Global Studies Academy when the teams last played back in December of 2023, as the squad secured a 71-37 win. In that game, Fort Meade amassed a halftime lead of 34-12, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Monday.
