Basketball Game Preview: Winston Salem Christian National Lions vs. Virginia Academy Patriots

The Winston Salem Christian National Lions will square off against the Virginia Academy Patriots at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Winston Salem Christian National comes in on four and Virginia Academy on three.

Winston Salem Christian National is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Carolina's top teams: 1 of 1 Academy, who was ranked 14th at the time (Winston Salem Christian National was ranked first). Winston Salem Christian National came out on top against 1 of 1 Academy by a score of 69-60 on Monday.

J'Niya Weaver and Jocelyne Grier were among the main playmakers for Winston Salem Christian National as the former went 6 of 9 on her way to 19 points along with six assists and six steals and the latter went 7 for 11 en route to 21 points in addition to five boards and three steals. That's the most points Weaver has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brianna Carelock, who posted eight points and three steals.

Winston Salem Christian National smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as 1 of 1 Academy only pulled down four offensive boards.

Meanwhile, Virginia Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Steward on Monday, taking the game 62-55.

Winston Salem Christian National pushed their record up to 18-3 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.9 points per game. As for Virginia Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season.

Winston Salem Christian National came up short against Virginia Academy when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 49-40. Can Winston Salem Christian National avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.