Preview: Saint John Paul the Great Catholic Wolves vs. Episcopal Maroon
After two games on the road, Saint John Paul the Great Catholic is heading back home. They will take on the Episcopal Maroon at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Saint John Paul the Great Catholic has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Saint John Paul the Great Catholic posted their biggest win since December 11, 2023 on Thursday. They put the hurt on Fredericksburg Christian with a sharp 60-39 win. Given Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 144th, while Fredericksburg Christian is ranked 306th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The match pitted two dominant guards against one another in Nina Velandria and Layna Thomas. Velandria had a great game and scored 16 points along with three steals. Meanwhile, Thomas was balling out in the loss, scoring 17 points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Episcopal waltzed into their game on Wednesday with six straight wins but they left with seven. They enjoyed a cozy 51-35 victory over St. Stephen's & St. Agnes.
It was another big night for Ava Sawi, who scored 17 points along with five assists and two steals. Sawi is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Princess Akojenu, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds.
Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-7. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.7 points per game. As for Episcopal, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Saint John Paul the Great Catholic have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.6 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Episcopal, though, as they've been averaging only 37.7 rebounds per game. Given Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's sizeable advantage in that area, Episcopal will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything went Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's way against Episcopal when the teams last played back in January of 2023 as Saint John Paul the Great Catholic made off with a 52-30 victory. Does Saint John Paul the Great Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will Episcopal turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
