Basketball Game Preview: Colorado Springs Christian Lions vs. Highland Huskies

The Colorado Springs Christian Lions are taking a road trip to square off against the Highland Huskies at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Colorado Springs Christian has given up an average of 51.5 points per game this season, so hopefully the team got some defensive drills in this week.

Colorado Springs Christian saw some tournament action on Saturday. They took an 81-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of St. Mary's. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Maximiliano Cota-Cordova

Points

03/01/25 vs St. Mary's	27
02/15/25 @ Ellicott	27
02/13/25 vs Woodland Park	23
02/21/25 vs Banning Lewis Academy	22
02/01/25 vs St. Mary's	22
+ 18 more games

Despite the defeat, Colorado Springs Christian got top-tier performance from Maximiliano Cota-Cordova, who dropped a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Cota-Cordova is becoming a predictor of Colorado Springs Christian's success: when he posts at least 20 points the team is 5-1 (and 6-11 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Jace Velasquez, who posted 11 points.

Meanwhile, Highland was able to grind out a solid win over Liberty Common on Saturday, taking the game 43-36. Given the Huskies' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Eagles are ranked 89th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Highland's win came from a few key players Colorado Springs Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brogan Palmer, who almost dropped a double-double with 16 points and nine boards. He is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 54% in the last four games he's played. Sawyer Morgan was another key player, putting up eight points along with 13 rebounds and four steals.

Highland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive rebounds in five consecutive matchups.

Colorado Springs Christian now has a losing record of 11-12. As for Highland, their record now sits at 17-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Colorado Springs Christian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31 boards per game. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.