Basketball Game Preview: Augusta Christian Lions vs. Northside Christian Academy Crusaders

The Augusta Christian Lions will square off against the Northside Christian Academy Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

Augusta Christian is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Heathwood Hall Episcopal just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Thursday. They were outmatched by the Highlanders and fell 76-31. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 97th in Georgia, while the Highlanders are ranked 31st in South Carolina).

Meanwhile, Northside Christian Academy put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past Ben Lippen with points to spare, taking the game 51-36. That's two games straight that the Crusaders have won by exactly 15 points.

Northside Christian Academy's win came from a few key players Augusta Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chaelyn Tifre, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 20 boards. That's the most points she has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Campbell Childers, who posted 16 points and four steals.

Northside Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive boards in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Northside Christian Academy's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-0. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.3 points per game. As for Augusta Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-11.

Things could have been worse for Augusta Christian, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 49-34 loss to Northside Christian Academy when the teams last played last Tuesday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Northside Christian Academy's Evie Godfrey, who put up 21 points and eight steals. Now that Augusta Christian knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.