The Hesperia Christian Patriots will challenge the Bethel Christian Kings at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
Hesperia Christian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 69 points on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Silver Valley on Friday. They had to suffer through a 69-27 loss at the hands of the Trojans. The game marked the Patriots' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
| 01/10/25 vs Silver Valley | 3 |
| 01/03/25 vs Cobalt Institute of Math & Science Academy | 2 |
| 12/17/24 @ Academy for Academic Excellence | 8 |
Hesperia Christian's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jackson Lake, who posted eight points along with nine boards and three steals, and Ethan Flores, who had eight points in addition to five boards and three steals. Lake has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bethel Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They took their match on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 75-48 win over Packinghouse Christian Academy. The Kings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 23 points or more this season.
Hesperia Christian better keep an eye on Chidera Onyeka. He was instrumental in Bethel Christian's win, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 21 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Joseph Kyababchian, who went 9 of 12 on his way to 21 points.
Bethel Christian was working as a unit and finished the game with 25 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Hesperia Christian has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.5 points per game. As for Bethel Christian, they pushed their record up to 6-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hesperia Christian has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 36.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Bethel Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hesperia Christian suffered a grim 66-42 defeat to Bethel Christian in their previous meeting back in December of 2021. Will Hesperia Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
