St. Francis Episcopal will take on the Live Oak Classical Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. St. Francis Episcopal knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past 18 matchups -- so hopefully Live Oak Classical likes a good challenge.
St. Francis Episcopal had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They really took it to Brazos Christian for the full four quarters, racking up a 77-49 win at home. St. Francis Episcopal has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 matches by 20 points or more this season.
Nigel Walls was his usual excellent self, scoring 21 points along with seven rebounds and four blocks. He has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Eren Ozcelik, who scored 13 points.
Meanwhile, Live Oak Classical entered their tilt with The Christian School at Castle Hills with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. Live Oak Classical walked away with a 49-36 win over The Christian School at Castle Hills on Tuesday. Given Live Oak Classical's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 335th, while The Christian School at Castle Hills is ranked 1130th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Live Oak Classical to victory, but perhaps none more so than Wes Snowden, who scored 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Titus Hornback, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds and two blocks.
St. Francis Episcopal's win was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 25-10. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.4 points per game. As for Live Oak Classical, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 20 of their last 23 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 30-5 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: St. Francis Episcopal have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Live Oak Classical struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for St. Francis Episcopal against Live Oak Classical when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 93-56 win. In that game, St. Francis Episcopal amassed a halftime lead of 48-21, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
