The Lovejoy Wildcats will head out on the road to square off against the Woodward Academy War Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Tuesday, Lovejoy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 65-60 to the Tigers.
Despite the loss, Lovejoy had strong showings from Noah Banks, who scored 19 points, and Cordarius Wood, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Demarco Davis, who scored four points along with six steals.
Meanwhile, Woodward Academy came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 41.5 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 62-55 victory over Alcovy. Given Woodward Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 38th, while the Tigers are ranked 225th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Woodward Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Payton Waites led the charge by scoring 18 points. Brandon Peters was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Lovejoy has not been sharp recently as the team's lost seven of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-11 record this season. As for Woodward Academy, they pushed their record up to 19-5 with that win, which was their third straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lovejoy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Woodward Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lovejoy came up short against the War Eagles in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 71-65. Can Lovejoy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
