Basketball Game Preview: Richmond Heights Spartans vs. Villa Angela-St. Joseph Vikings

The Richmond Heights Spartans will take on the Villa Angela-St. Joseph Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Richmond Heights is headed into Sunday's matchup hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight defeats. They took a 52-39 hit to the loss column at the hands of Perry on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, on WednesdayAndrews Osborne Academy kept up with Villa Angela-St. Joseph until halftime, but afterwards: not so much. Villa Angela-St. Joseph blew past Andrews Osborne Academy 53-27. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 26 points or more this season.

Richmond Heights better keep an eye on Elizabeth Dunmire. She was instrumental in Villa Angela-St. Joseph's win, dropping a double-double on 21 points and 16 rebounds. Dunmire has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last ten times she's played. Another player making a difference was Cecelia Oriani, who posted 11 points and five steals.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 27 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph's victory ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 9-7. As for Richmond Heights, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 9-5.

Everything came up roses for Richmond Heights against Villa Angela-St. Joseph in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as the squad secured a 72-39 win. Will Richmond Heights repeat their success, or does Villa Angela-St. Joseph have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.