American is 0-4 against Belen Jesuit since December of 2020 but things could change on Wednesday. The American Patriots will square off against the Belen Jesuit Wolverines. American knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Belen Jesuit likes a good challenge.
American is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They walked away with a 78-66 victory over Hialeah. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 196th, while the Thoroughbreds are ranked 402nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Angel Torres
| 02/03/25 vs Hialeah | 23 |
| 01/31/25 @ Carol City | 18 |
| 01/30/25 vs Hialeah-Miami Lakes | 21 |
| 01/28/25 vs Dr. Krop | 15 |
American's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Angel Torres, who went 7 for 17 on his way to 23 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. The game was Torres' fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Derrius Black, who posted 16 points and seven boards.
American smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in December of 2024.
Meanwhile, Belen Jesuit waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They slipped by the Vikings 56-55.
Belen Jesuit's win came from a few key players American will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Orlando Roche, who went 7 of 14 en route to 18 points. He is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 18 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Javi Vasseur, who went 6 for 8 on his way to 14 points.
Belen Jesuit's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-8. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.3 points per game. As for American, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as American and Belen Jesuit are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. American hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 60.9 points per game. However, it's not like Belen Jesuit struggles in that department as they've been averaging 58.3 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
American came up short against Belen Jesuit in their previous matchup back in January, falling 58-54. Can American avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
