The Northside Christian Academy Crusaders will head out on the road to challenge the Thomas Sumter Academy Generals at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Northside Christian Academy has six straight wins, Thomas Sumter Academy has 28 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Even though Palmetto Christian Academy scored an imposing 71 points on Tuesday, Northside Christian Academy still came out on top. Northside Christian Academy walked away with an 82-71 victory over Palmetto Christian Academy. Given Northside Christian Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 106th, while Palmetto Christian Academy is ranked 263rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Northside Christian Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dane Sundell led the charge by scoring 19 points along with nine assists and five steals. Sullie Crider was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with nine rebounds and two steals.
Thomas Sumter Academy suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Tuesday. They took a serious blow against Orangeburg Prep, falling 75-17. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Thomas Sumter Academy in their matchups with Orangeburg Prep: they've now lost seven in a row.
Northside Christian Academy's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.8 points per game. As for Thomas Sumter Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-12.
Everything came up roses for Northside Christian Academy against Thomas Sumter Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 78-51 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northside Christian Academy since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
