Jefferson Academy has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the St. Mary's Academy Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Jefferson Academy posted their biggest win yet this season on Saturday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Stargate School 45-3 at home. Given Jefferson Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 97th, while Stargate School is ranked 302nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jefferson Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Elsa Nygren led the charge by scoring 14 points along with five steals and two blocks. Nygren has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Rylin Chichirico, who scored 14 points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, everything went St. Mary's Academy's way against Prospect Ridge Academy on Thursday as St. Mary's Academy made off with a 43-19 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory St. Mary's Academy has posted against Prospect Ridge Academy since February 9, 2018.
Emily Rodriguez continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 13 points along with six rebounds and six steals. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last eight times she's played. Isabel Hernandez was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Jefferson Academy's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for St. Mary's Academy, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Jefferson Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for St. Mary's Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 43 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Jefferson Academy against St. Mary's Academy in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 as the team secured a 52-23 victory. Will Jefferson Academy repeat their success, or does St. Mary's Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
