Basketball Game Preview: St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders vs. North Broward Prep Eagles

The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will square off against the North Broward Prep Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in St. Thomas Aquinas' favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 15 matchups.

St. Thomas Aquinas is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: The Villages Charter, who was ranked 14th at the time (St. Thomas Aquinas was ranked third). St. Thomas Aquinas strolled past The Villages Charter with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 66-51.

St. Thomas Aquinas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dwayne Wimbley Jr. led the charge by dropping a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds. With that strong performance, Wimbley Jr. is now averaging an impressive 8.1 boards per game. Clarence Westbrook Jr. was another key player, going 7 of 16 en route to 16 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, North Broward Prep posted their biggest victory since December 10, 2024 on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 64-43 margin over Fort Lauderdale. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.

North Broward Prep's win bumped their record up to 9-11. As for St. Thomas Aquinas, their victory bumped their record up to 16-1.

St. Thomas Aquinas came up short against North Broward Prep in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 55-51. Thankfully for St. Thomas Aquinas, Raul Perez Ruiz (who went 12 for 17 on his way to 35 points and seven rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.