Basketball Game Preview: Chicago Mt. Carmel Caravan vs. St. Laurence Vikings

The Chicago Mt. Carmel Caravan will face off against the St. Laurence Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Chicago Mt. Carmel came up short against Loyola Academy and fell 67-57. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Caravan came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked ninth, while the Ramblers are ranked 47th).

Chicago Mt. Carmel might have lost, but man, Cameron Thomas was a machine: he went 9 of 17 on his way to 23 points and five rebounds. The game was Thomas' fifth in a row with at least ten points. Grant Best was another key player, putting up 11 points and five boards.

Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led St. Laurence over IC Catholic Prep in every quarter on their way to victory on Friday. St. Laurence put the hurt on IC Catholic Prep with a sharp 72-47 win. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 25 points or more this season.

Chicago Mt. Carmel's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 18-4. As for St. Laurence, their victory bumped their record up to 17-5.

Chicago Mt. Carmel beat St. Laurence 63-50 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. Will Chicago Mt. Carmel repeat their success, or does St. Laurence have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.