Basketball Game Preview: St. Croix Prep Lions vs. St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders

The St. Croix Prep Lions will challenge the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. St. Croix Prep knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past five matches -- so hopefully St. Croix Lutheran likes a good challenge.

Last Friday, St. Croix Prep didn't have too much trouble with New Life Academy as they won 75-58. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 177th, while the Eagles are ranked 408th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, St. Croix Lutheran blew past Cristo Rey Jesuit, posting an 87-25 victory. The Crusaders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 22 points or more this season.

St. Croix Prep pushed their record up to 10-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.3 points per game. As for St. Croix Lutheran, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-3.

St. Croix Prep came up short against St. Croix Lutheran when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 76-63. Can St. Croix Prep avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.