The First Academy is 8-0 against Orangewood Christian since November of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The First Academy Royals will head out on the road to challenge the Orangewood Christian Rams at 7:00 p.m. The First Academy will be strutting in after a victory while Orangewood Christian will be coming in after a loss.
The First Academy posted their closest victory yet this season on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 54-52 victory over Lake Gibson. Given The First Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 126th, while Lake Gibson is ranked 337th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lorenzo De jesus was his usual excellent self, scoring 21 points along with four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Max Simmons, who scored 15 points.
Meanwhile, Orangewood Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight loss. They had to suffer through a rough 89-53 loss at the hands of Altamonte Christian. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Orangewood Christian has suffered yet this season.
The win makes it two in a row for The First Academy and bumps their season record up to 11-8. As for Orangewood Christian, their loss was their sixth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 5-12.
The First Academy took their victory against Orangewood Christian in their previous meeting back in January of 2022 by a conclusive 78-52. The rematch might be a little tougher for The First Academy since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
