Basketball Game Preview: New Covenant Gryphons vs. Virginia Episcopal School Bishops

The New Covenant Gryphons will head out on the road to face off against the Virginia Episcopal School Bishops at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. New Covenant knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four games -- so hopefully Virginia Episcopal School likes a good challenge.

New Covenant will bounce into Thursday's matchup after beating Carlisle, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. New Covenant claimed a resounding 61-30 victory over Carlisle. The Gryphons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 22 points or more this season.

Rusty Hooks

Three Point Percentage

02/10/25 vs Carlisle	67%
02/06/25 vs The Covenant	50%
02/04/25 @ Roanoke Catholic	50%
01/31/25 vs Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy	50%
01/30/25 @ Eastern Mennonite	50%

New Covenant's win on Monday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Rusty Hooks, who went 8 for 14 on his way to 23 points and six rebounds. Hooks is also on a roll when it comes to three-point shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 40% in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tristan Isenhour, who posted seven points along with nine boards and seven assists.

Meanwhile, Virginia Episcopal School was just a bucket shy of victory on Monday and fell 72-71 to Hargrave Military Academy. The Bishops have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

New Covenant's win bumped their record up to 16-8. As for Virginia Episcopal School, their loss dropped their record down to 9-18.

New Covenant ended up a good deal behind Virginia Episcopal School when the teams last played back in February of 2024, losing 75-60. Can New Covenant avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.