The Hernando Christian Academy Lions and the Central Bears will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The pair have had a bumpy ride up to this point with five consecutive losses for Hernando Christian Academy and 30 for Central.
Hernando Christian Academy suffered their biggest defeat since December 1, 2023 on Friday. They were dealt a 58-15 loss at the hands of Academy at the Lakes. Hernando Christian Academy was down 42-12 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Despite the loss, Hernando Christian Academy saw an underclassman step up: Neaya Richardson scored six points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Central had to suffer through a rough 53-20 loss at the hands of Cypress Creek. Central was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 33-6.
Central's loss came about despite a quality game from Delanee Duncan, who scored 13 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Duncan has scored all season.
Hernando Christian Academy dropped their record down to 6-11 with that loss, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 20.3 points per game. As for Central, their loss dropped their record down to 0-19.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Hernando Christian Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Central, though, as they've been averaging only 13 rebounds per game. Given Hernando Christian Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Central will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hernando Christian Academy ended up a good deal behind Central in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, losing 51-36. Can Hernando Christian Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
