Basketball Game Preview: Northwood Academy Chargers vs. John Paul II Golden Warrriors

vs

Previous 4 Games

02/13/24 - Home	62-35 W
01/22/24 - Away	72-37 W
02/13/23 - Away	54-39 W
01/31/22 - Home	41-32 W

Northwood Academy is 4-0 against John Paul II since January of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Northwood Academy Chargers will challenge the John Paul II Golden Warrriors at 4:00 p.m. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Northwood Academy has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while John Paul II will arrive with nine straight wins.

Northwood Academy fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Trinity Collegiate last Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Titans 57-51. While losing is never fun, the Chargers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 55th, while the Titans are ranked ninth).

Despite their defeat, Northwood Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Nevaeh Mathews, who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine boards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Maliyah Birch, who posted 20 points in addition to five boards and three steals.

Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely John Paul II's strategy against Patrick Henry Academy on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that John Paul II blew Patrick Henry Academy out of the water with a 62-29 final score. The Golden Warrriors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 33 points or more this season.

John Paul II pushed their record up to 12-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.2 points per game. As for Northwood Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 6-6.

Everything came up roses for Northwood Academy against John Paul II when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 62-35 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northwood Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.