The Chelsea Academy Knights will challenge the Carlisle Chiefs at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Chelsea Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They took their match with ease, bagging a 69-41 win over Westover Christian Academy. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th in Virginia, while the Bulldogs are ranked 260th in Virginia), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cici Wingate
| 02/26/25 vs Westover Christian Academy | 6 |
| 01/10/25 vs Holy Family Academy | 5 |
| 02/22/24 @ Christ Chapel Academy | 5 |
| 02/20/24 vs Fairfax HomeSchool | 4 |
| 02/08/24 vs Dominion Christian | 4 |
Chelsea Academy got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Cici Wingate out in front who went 9-for-13 to rack up 22 points and six assists. The dominant performance gave Wingate a new career-high in assists. Evelyn Wingate was another key player, putting up 14 points.
Cici wasn't the only one working in the assist department: Chelsea Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. That's a new trend for Chelsea Academy: they were averaging 3.7 assists per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 7.8.
Meanwhile, Carlisle came tearing into Wednesday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.2 points), and they left with even more momentum. They really took it to the Fighting Owls for the full four quarters, racking up a 75-25 win. The Chiefs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Chelsea Academy better keep an eye on Ja'La Niblett. She was instrumental in Carlisle's win, posting 25 points. Niblett continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last six games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kenzie Board, who posted 16 points.
Carlisle pushed their record up to 18-5 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.2 points over those games. As for Chelsea Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season.
Chelsea Academy came up short against Carlisle when the teams last played back in March of 2023, falling 61-55. Can Chelsea Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
