After eight games on the road, Morningside Academy is heading back home. They will take on the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Morningside Academy struggled with assists on Tuesday (Grandview Prep had nine more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Morningside Academy fell 48-39 to Grandview Prep. While losing is never fun, Morningside Academy can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 404th, while Grandview Prep is ranked 197th).
Marvin Tidas put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds. That's the first time this season that he pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Brandon Clark, who scored six points along with eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Dreyfoos School of the Arts' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their fourth straight loss. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 51-50 to Boca Raton Christian.
Despite their defeat, Dreyfoos School of the Arts saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Nate Goldin, who scored 16 points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Zidane Guerrier, who scored nine points along with six rebounds.
Morningside Academy's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 13-8. As for Dreyfoos School of the Arts, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Morningside Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Dreyfoos School of the Arts struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Morningside Academy was able to grind out a solid victory over Dreyfoos School of the Arts when the teams last played back in December of 2022, winning 49-39. Does Morningside Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Dreyfoos School of the Arts turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
