The First Academy has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will square off against the Windermere Prep Lakers at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. The First Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past seven contests -- so hopefully Windermere Prep likes a good challenge.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but The First Academy had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 78-63 victory over the Lions. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead The First Academy to victory, but perhaps none more so than Lorenzo De jesus, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine assists. It was the first time this season that De jesus posted eight or more assists. Max Simmons was another key contributor, scoring 20 points along with five steals.
Windermere Prep was handed a two-point defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Trinity Prep on Thursday. Windermere Prep blew past Trinity Prep, posting a 75-41 win on the road. Given Windermere Prep's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 36th, while Trinity Prep is ranked 409th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The First Academy's win bumped their record up to 15-11. As for Windermere Prep, they are on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 14 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season.
The First Academy came up short against Windermere Prep when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 67-55. Can The First Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
