Basketball Game Preview: Pathway Christian Panthers vs. Unity Christian Knights

The Pathway Christian Panthers will take on the Unity Christian Knights in a holiday battle at at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pathway Christian will be strutting in after a win while Unity Christian will be coming in after a loss.

Unity Christian is hoping to do what East Moline Christian couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Pathway Christian's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Everything went Pathway Christian's way against East Moline Christian as Pathway Christian made off with a 47-25 victory. That looming 47-25 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.

Pathway Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Denver Nelson, who went 7 of 14 on his way to 15 points along with six assists and five steals. The game was Nelson's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Preston Yutzy, who went 6 of 12 en route to 14 points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Unity Christian played a tough matchup last Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were beaten by Quad Cities Christian 68-22. The contest marked the Knights' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Graham Foust was Unity Christian's leading scorer, having posted eight points. Nathan Woessner held things down on the boards with nine rebounds.

Pathway Christian's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-4. As for Unity Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Pathway Christian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 21.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Unity Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Pathway Christian beat Unity Christian 52-44 when the teams last played back in February. Will Pathway Christian repeat their success, or does Unity Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.