Basketball Game Preview: Liberty Christian Academy Heat vs. John Paul II Catholic Saints

Liberty Christian Academy hasn't had much luck against John Paul II Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Liberty Christian Academy Heat will be playing in front of their home fans against the John Paul II Catholic Saints at 6:30 p.m.

Liberty Christian Academy is headed into Monday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 14th straight game dating back to last season on Thursday. They took a blow against Arendell Parrott Academy, falling 57-21. While losing is never fun, the Heat can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 578th, while the Patriots are ranked 255th).

Despite the loss, Liberty Christian Academy saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Hollyn Thigpen posted 13 points. Thigpen has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 16 times she's played.

Meanwhile, John Paul II Catholic had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 41.8 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Thursday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 59-14 victory over the Falcons. The Saints have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 26 points or more this season.

John Paul II Catholic pushed their record up to 14-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 15.7 points per game. As for Liberty Christian Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-13.

Liberty Christian Academy took a serious blow against John Paul II Catholic in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, falling 60-15. Thankfully for Liberty Christian Academy, Ramsey Cureton (who went 7 for 11 on her way to 16 points in addition to six steals and five assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.