Basketball Recap: Dior Johnson Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Katz Yeshiva

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Saint Andrew's, St. John Paul II Academy was happy to have turned things around on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 77-63 win over the Katz Yeshiva Storm. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Eagles also won the last time the pair played back in February of 2023.

St. John Paul II Academy got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Dior Johnson out in front who went 10 for 19 on his way to 24 points and four steals. Sebastian Mesa was another key player, going 7 of 11 on his way to 15 points and six steals.

Eagles

Assists

12/17/24 vs Katz Yeshiva	21
12/09/24 @ Somerset Academy Key	16
12/11/24 vs Cardinal Newman	14
12/07/24 vs Monsignor Pace	10
12/13/24 vs Saint Andrew's	9

St. John Paul II Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

St. John Paul II Academy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.6 points per game. As for Katz Yeshiva, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-4.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. St. John Paul II Academy will host American Heritage at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Katz Yeshiva, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Jewish Culture at 7:00 p.m. Jewish Culture will roll in looking for their seventh straight win, something Katz Yeshiva surely won't give up without a fight.