Preview: Morning Star Academy Mustangs vs. Quad Cities Christian Eagles
Morning Star Academy is 0-7 against Quad Cities Christian since December of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Morning Star Academy Mustangs' road trip will continue as they head out to face the Quad Cities Christian Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on January 25th. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Morning Star Academy beat Galesburg Christian 39-29.
It was another big night for Gavin Trotter, who scored 13 points along with three blocks. Joshua Brady was another key contributor, scoring two points along with nine steals.
Meanwhile, Quad Cities Christian waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They came out on top against Rivermont Collegiate by a score of 53-45.
Quad Cities Christian's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Cobie Becker-Paradiso, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and three steals, and Seth Karl, who scored 22 points along with three steals. Karl is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Bayler Garant, who scored three points along with five steals.
Morning Star Academy now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Quad Cities Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Morning Star Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Quad Cities Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Morning Star Academy ended up a good deal behind Quad Cities Christian in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 52-34. Can Morning Star Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
