North Florida Christian and Leon are an even 3-3 against one another since February of 2020, but not for long. The North Florida Christian Eagles will challenge the Leon Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
North Florida Christian took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Taylor County 59-56.
North Florida Christian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jed Dickens, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jace Riggan, who posted 17 points in addition to seven boards and six assists.
Meanwhile, Leon came tearing into Friday's contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.2 points) and they left with even more momentum. They really took it to the Panthers for the full four quarters, racking up a 76-45 win. The Lions' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Leon's win came from a few key players North Florida Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Aaron Pensel, who went 7 of 14 on his way to 15 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. He is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last nine games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Alphonza Gammons, who had 12 points in addition to seven boards and three steals.
Leon was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since the start of last season.
Leon's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-5. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.7 points per game. As for North Florida Christian, their record is now 5-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Florida Christian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Leon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Florida Christian came up short against Leon in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 61-52. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pensel, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 boards. Now that North Florida Christian knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
