Basketball Game Preview: Pope John Paul II Knights vs. Lipscomb Academy Mustangs

Pope John Paul II and Lipscomb Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2020, but not for long. The Pope John Paul II Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Lipscomb Academy Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pope John Paul II knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 17 matches -- so hopefully Lipscomb Academy likes a good challenge.

Pope John Paul II is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Tennessee's top teams: Ensworth, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Pope John Paul II was ranked second). Pope John Paul II snuck past Ensworth with a 70-64 victory on Friday.

Kamden Days continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 14 boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rebounds. Another player making a difference was Osby Cavin, who posted 18 points in addition to five assists and four steals.

Meanwhile, Lipscomb Academy unfortunately witnessed the end of their ten-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost to Ensworth at home by a 64-48 margin. The game marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Pope John Paul II's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. As for Lipscomb Academy, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-3.

Pope John Paul II was able to grind out a solid victory over Lipscomb Academy when the teams last played back in February of 2024, winning 63-51. Does Pope John Paul II have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lipscomb Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.