Basketball Game Preview: Hope Academy Trojan Tigers vs. Vanguard Panthers

The Hope Academy Trojan Tigers will take on the Vanguard Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Vanguard is hoping to do what Varsity Opponent couldn't last Friday: put an end to Hope Academy's winning streak, which now stands at five games. Hope Academy blew past Varsity Opponent 77-40. The Trojan Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 26 points or more this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hope Academy to victory, but perhaps none more so than Willie Griggs, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 16 boards. Griggs is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last 18 games he's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Nathaniel Boyer, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds.

Hope Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Vanguard came up short against Haines City on Friday and fell 79-72.

Hope Academy will have to contain Turral Berry as he made an impact in Vanguard's last game. He posted 43 points in addition to six rebounds and five steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaelen Randall, who had eight points and three steals.

Hope Academy's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Vanguard, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hope Academy has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.