Preview: Calumet Christian Patriots vs. 21st Century Charter Cougars
The Calumet Christian Patriots will head out on the road to face off against the 21st Century Charter Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Calumet Christian suffered their biggest defeat yet this season last Thursday. They were outmatched by La Lumiere Blue on the road and fell 83-41. While losing is never fun, Calumet Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 306th, while La Lumiere Blue is ranked 125th).
Brad Nymeyer put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 19 points along with nine rebounds. He hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for six straight games. Another player making a difference was Michael Rivera, who scored five points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, 21st Century Charter pushed their score all the way to 65 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 76-65 to East Chicago Central. 21st Century Charter has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Lemetrius Williams, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Williams is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Terrence Hayes was another key contributor, scoring 20 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Calumet Christian has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-13 record this season. As for 21st Century Charter, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Calumet Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like 21st Century Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Calumet Christian was dealt a bruising 77-11 loss at the hands of 21st Century Charter in their previous meeting back in January of 2019. Thankfully for Calumet Christian, Johnell Davis (who scored 17 points along with nine rebounds and five steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
