Basketball Game Preview: St. Joseph Spartans vs. Apollo Ridge Vikings

The St. Joseph Spartans and the Apollo Ridge Vikings will compete for holiday cheer at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

St. Joseph had taken Summit Academy down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Friday. The Spartans were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 54-53 to the Knights.

Meanwhile, Apollo Ridge hadn't done well against West Shamokin recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Vikings blew past the Wolves 56-28. That looming 56-28 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Vikings yet this season.

The win made it two in a row for Apollo Ridge and bumps their season record up to 3-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points over those games. As for St. Joseph, their loss was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-2.

St. Joseph might still be hurting after the 72-46 defeat they got from Apollo Ridge when the teams last played back in February. Can the Spartans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.