Basketball Recap: Hope Academy Falls Despite Big Games from Willie Griggs and Dwayne Foreman III

Hope Academy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a hard 65-49 fall against the Leesburg Yellow Jackets. While losing is never fun, the Trojan Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 212th, while the Yellow Jackets are ranked 84th).

Hope Academy's loss came despite strong showings from Dwayne Foreman III and Willie Griggs. Foreman III went 7 of 15 en route to 19 points along with six assists and five boards, while Griggs dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. That's the most boards Foreman III has posted since back in December of 2024. Nehemiah Rapael was another key player, putting up seven points and five rebounds.

Leesburg got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Angelo Moton out in front who posted 19 points. The game was Moton's seventh in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Julius Nelson, who had 15 points.

Hope Academy's loss dropped their record down to 16-8. As for Leesburg, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-6.

Hope Academy has already played their next matchup (against Montverde Academy Gold), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Leesburg has already played their next contest, an 81-79 win against Dr. Phillips on the 22nd.