Preview: Illinois Lutheran Chargers vs. Grace Christian Academy Crusaders
After three games on the road, Illinois Lutheran is heading back home. They will take on the Grace Christian Academy Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Last Friday, Illinois Lutheran came up short against Donovan and fell 53-45. Illinois Lutheran has not had much luck with Donovan recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.
Despite their loss, Illinois Lutheran saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jaden Walls, who scored 17 points, was perhaps the best of all. Tristan Biesterfeld was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Grace Christian Academy's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight defeat. They had to suffer through a rough 71-39 loss at the hands of Gardner-South Wilmington. Grace Christian Academy was down 56-32 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Like Grace Christian Academy, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Ethan Reynolds led the charge by scoring 14 points. That was a full 35.9% of Grace Christian Academy's points, marking the fifth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Bisping, who scored seven points along with nine rebounds.
Illinois Lutheran dropped their record down to 4-19 with that loss, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Grace Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 5-19.
Tuesday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Sam Adeniran and Sam Marquardt. Adeniran has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 14.6 points, 1.1 blocks, and 3.5 rebounds. For his part, Marquardt has averaged 16.8 points, 1.4 blocks, and 1.7 steals.
Illinois Lutheran came up short against Grace Christian Academy when the teams last played back in January, falling 68-57. Can Illinois Lutheran avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
