Basketball Game Preview: Pinnacle Classical Academy Eagles vs. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons

Pinnacle Classical Academy hasn't had much luck against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Pinnacle Classical Academy Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons at 7:30 p.m. Pinnacle Classical Academy will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.

Pinnacle Classical Academy is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Reynolds Mountain Christian Academy: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Pinnacle Classical Academy blew Reynolds Mountain Christian Academy out of the water with a 73-26 final score. Pinnacle Classical Academy has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Pinnacle Classical Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Braylon Gentry led the charge by going 8 for 16 on his way to 25 points and three steals. What's more, Gentry also racked up three assists, the most he's had since back in January of 2024. Cody Humphries was another key player, dropping a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Pinnacle Classical Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy hadn't done well against East Gaston recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy took down East Gaston 64-49. Given the Gryphons' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 265th, while the Warriors are ranked 606th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.5 points per game. As for Pinnacle Classical Academy, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season.

Pinnacle Classical Academy was dealt a bruising 74-47 loss at the hands of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Pinnacle Classical Academy was down 39-14.