Basketball Game Preview: Lanier Christian Academy Lightning vs. Lakeview Academy Lions

The Lanier Christian Academy Lightning will challenge the Lakeview Academy Lions at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Lanier Christian Academy's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 16 matchups.

Last Friday, Lanier Christian Academy strolled past Fideles Christian with points to spare, taking the game 64-49. Given the Lightning's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 134th, while the Rangers are ranked 438th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lanier Christian Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mekhi Barber led the charge by going 10 of 20 on his way to 28 points along with eight boards and four steals. Barber has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Miles Tracy, who posted 12 points in addition to seven rebounds and five steals.

Lanier Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Lakeview Academy had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 40.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Saturday. They walked away with a 71-62 win over Cristo Rey Atlanta.

Lakeview Academy's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 36.5 points. As for Lanier Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 14-3.

Lanier Christian Academy was dealt a bruising 90-54 defeat at the hands of Lakeview Academy in their previous meeting back in November of 2023. Can Lanier Christian Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.