Basketball Game Preview: Rio Lindo Adventist Spartans vs. North Hills Christian Eagles

The Rio Lindo Adventist Spartans will challenge the North Hills Christian Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. North Hills Christian took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Rio Lindo Adventist, who comes in off a win.

Rio Lindo Adventist took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Napa Christian by a score of 41-31.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Rio Lindo Adventist to victory, but perhaps none more so than Azaria Nelson, who posted 12 points and three steals. Nelson has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Sascha Norman, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds.

Rio Lindo Adventist smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in 15 consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, North Hills Christian was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 22-18 to Summerfield Waldorf. The game marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Rio Lindo Adventist's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-9. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.7 points per game. As for North Hills Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.

Rio Lindo Adventist was able to grind out a solid win over North Hills Christian in their previous matchup back in January of 2020, winning 46-35. Will Rio Lindo Adventist repeat their success, or does North Hills Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.