The Hart 2 Hart Academy Warriors will face off against the Westwood Christian Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hart 2 Hart Academy is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
While Hart 2 Hart Academy didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They had just enough and edged Northside Christian Academy out 42-40.
Jordan Keen was his usual excellent self, going 7 of 9 en route to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Bliffin, who posted 12 points.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Westwood Christian). They claimed a resounding 70-41 victory over Varsity Opponent. With that win, the Warriors brought their scoring average up to 51.3 points per game.
Hart 2 Hart Academy better focus on containing Jake Kirkland and Tripp Kirkland as the pair were huge in Westwood Christian's win. Jake dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Tripp dropped a double-double on 16 points and 15 rebounds. Jake's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Asher Baum, who had 12 points.
Westwood Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive contests.
Hart 2 Hart Academy pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.3 points per game. As for Westwood Christian, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hart 2 Hart Academy has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 20.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Westwood Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 43.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hart 2 Hart Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Westwood Christian in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, winning 62-51. Will Hart 2 Hart Academy repeat their success, or does Westwood Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
