St. John Lutheran is 9-1 against First Academy since January of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The St. John Lutheran Saints will be playing at home against the First Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. St. John Lutheran will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Even though St. John Lutheran has not done well against Hernando Christian Academy recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. St. John Lutheran sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 36-33 win over Hernando Christian Academy. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win St. John Lutheran has posted yet this season.
Arisa Ford and Gracie Sue Rice were among the main playmakers for St. John Lutheran as the former dropped a double-double on ten points and 13 rebounds and the latter scored 21 points along with seven steals and five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Rice has scored all season. Audrey Goodson was another key contributor, scoring no points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, First Academy unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell to Redeemer Christian 36-32.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Carolina Boque, who scored 14 points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Addison Schwartz, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds.
St. John Lutheran has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. As for First Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: St. John Lutheran have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 36 rebounds per game. It's a different story for First Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 28 rebounds per game. Given St. John Lutheran's sizeable advantage in that area, First Academy will need to find a way to close that gap.
St. John Lutheran was able to grind out a solid victory over First Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 49-40. Does St. John Lutheran have another victory up their sleeve, or will First Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
