After flying high against the Somerset Academy Key Lions last Friday, the King's Academy Lions came back down to earth. King's Academy fell 78-69 to St. John Paul II Academy on Tuesday. It was the first time this season that King's Academy let down their fans at home.
King's Academy's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Evan Alicea, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 15 rebounds. Javian Jones was another key contributor, scoring 21 points along with two steals.
St. John Paul II Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Rowan Linder led the charge by dropping a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Cristian Rosado, who scored 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
King's Academy's defeat ended a ten-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-6. As for St. John Paul II Academy, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. King's Academy will take on John Carroll Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. St. John Paul II Academy won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Cardinal Newman at 7:00 p.m. on January 24th. Cardinal Newman knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five contests -- so hopefully St. John Paul II Academy likes a good challenge.
