Providence Classical came up into this matchup off a tough 25-point loss last Thursday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of the Riverwalk Academy Lions by a score of 44-41 on Thursday. The Paladins were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Lions apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Providence Classical's loss came despite strong showings from Grafton Eiff and Malachi Thompson. Eiff went 7 for 15 to rack up 19 points along with eight assists and four steals, while Thompson went 7 of 12 en route to 14 points in addition to seven boards and six blocks. That was a full 46.3% of Providence Classical's points, marking the seventh time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points.
Riverwalk Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Adam Johnson led the charge by almost dropping a double-double with 11 points and nine steals. The dominant performance gave Johnson a new career-high in points. Austin Thurman was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds.
This is the second loss in a row for Providence Classical and nudges their season record down to 6-10. As for Riverwalk Academy, their victory ended a six-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-13.
Providence Classical wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 38-35 win against HOPE Academy on the 3rd. As for Riverwalk Academy, they have also already played their next game, an 82-21 loss against Lamar on the 4th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
