Having just played yesterday, The First Academy Royals will get right back to it and host the Bishop Moore Hornets at 7:30 p.m. on January 19th. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
The First Academy's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough 70-46 walloping at the hands of Windermere. While losing is never fun, The First Academy can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 128th, while Windermere is ranked 34th).
Despite the loss, The First Academy saw an underclassman step up: Max Simmons scored 14 points along with two steals. Lorenzo De jesus was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Bishop Moore suffered their closest defeat yet this season on Friday. They fell just short of Trinity Prep by a score of 57-54. Bishop Moore has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Justin Suarez, who scored 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Diego Elias, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds.
The First Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 9-8. As for Bishop Moore, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-6.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy match: The First Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 26.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Bishop Moore, though, as they've been averaging only 30 rebounds per game. Given The First Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Bishop Moore will need to find a way to close that gap.
The First Academy won a contest that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, slipping by Bishop Moore 63-62. Will The First Academy repeat their success, or does Bishop Moore have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
