Basketball Game Preview: Leon Lions vs. St. John Paul II Panthers

A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Leon Lions take on the St. John Paul II Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday... The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Leon has six straight wins, St. John Paul II has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Last Wednesday, Leon got the win against Maclay by a conclusive 72-51. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 130th, while the Marauders are ranked 354th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Leon's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was DeKendrick Williams, who went 7 for 9 on his way to 17 points and three steals. Williams has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Graham Roe, who posted 15 points and five rebounds.

Leon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in ten consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, St. John Paul II came up short against Gadsden County on Thursday and fell 45-36. The game marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Leon's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-5. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.3 points per game. As for St. John Paul II, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.

Leon couldn't quite finish off St. John Paul II in their previous meeting back in January of 2024 and fell 51-49. Can Leon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.