Basketball Game Preview: River City Believers Academy Soldiers vs. First Baptist Academy Eagles

River City Believers Academy hasn't had much luck against First Baptist Academy recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The two teams will compete for holiday cheer at 3:00 p.m. Both were dealt some close losses in their previous games and are determined not to let this one get away.

River City Believers Academy came up into this matchup off a tough 41-point loss on Tuesday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Gateway Christian by a score of 39-36 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Soldiers have suffered since November 18, 2023.

The losing side was boosted by Brennen McGuire, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards. That's the most rebounds he has posted since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Noah Averill, who posted ten points.

Meanwhile, First Baptist Academy didn't have quite enough to beat Providence Classical on Saturday and fell 46-43.

River City Believers Academy will have to contain Matthew Levine as he made an impact in First Baptist Academy's last game. He had 17 points and six rebounds. Levine has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Nathanael Asare was another key player, putting up five points and four steals.

First Baptist Academy now has a losing record at 8-9. As for River City Believers Academy, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: River City Believers Academy has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.5 boards per game. However, it's not like First Baptist Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

River City Believers Academy came up short against First Baptist Academy when the teams last played back in February, falling 41-29. Can River City Believers Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.