The Times Squared Academy Eagles will face off against the Prout Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Times Squared Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Ponaganset, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Times Squared Academy was ranked 24th). Times Squared Academy was the clear victor by a 75-51 margin over Ponaganset on Monday. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 23 points or more this season.
Times Squared Academy relied on the efforts of Yomy Garcia, who posted 17 points, and Justin Urey, who had 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Raymond Nunez, who put up 11 points.
Meanwhile, Prout earned a 79-72 victory over Exeter-West Greenwich on Saturday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.
Prout's win came from a few key players Times Squared Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mike Brugnoli, who went 7 for 17 on his way to 22 points and five boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Lawson O'Hearn, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Times Squared Academy pushed their record up to 13-5 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.7 points. As for Prout, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as Times Squared Academy and Prout are some of the highest-scoring teams around. Times Squared Academy hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 67.3 points per game. However, it's not like Prout struggles in that department as they've been averaging 66.6 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can put up more.
Times Squared Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Prout in their previous matchup back in February of 2022, sneaking past 57-54. Does Times Squared Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Prout turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
