Basketball Game Preview: Pensacola Catholic Crusaders vs. Bayside Academy Admirals

The Pensacola Catholic Crusaders and the Bayside Academy Admirals will round out the year against one another at at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Pensacola Catholic is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55 points per game this season.

Pensacola Catholic took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They put the hurt on Pensacola Christian Academy with a sharp 47-25 win. The Crusaders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 22 points or more this season.

Pensacola Catholic's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jenecia Swindell, who posted 19 points and four steals, and Danielle Gulley, who had eight points and nine steals. That's the most points Swindell has posted since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Angel Purifoy, who put up six points and six rebounds.

Pensacola Catholic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Bayside Academy came up short against Houston Academy on Saturday and fell 34-22. The Admirals have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Pensacola Catholic pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 25.1 points. As for Bayside Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 7-10.

Everything came up roses for Pensacola Catholic against Bayside Academy when the teams last played back in November, as the squad secured a 60-30 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pensacola Catholic since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.