Basketball Recap: Calvary Skates Past Hartsburg-Emden with Ease

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Previous Games

12/12/25 - Home	76-45 W
12/13/24 - Away	86-42 W
12/08/23 - Home	75-44 W
12/09/22 - Away	79-62 W
12/10/21 - Home	79-39 W
+ 5 more games

Calvary had won six straight at home dating back to last season, but on Friday they bumped up to 6-0 to make it seven. They blew past the Hartsburg-Emden Stags 76-45. The Saints have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three games by 20 points or more this season.

Calvary's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Luke Blackford led the charge by dropping a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The contest was Blackford's third in a row with at least 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiah Reynolds, who went 7-for-15 to rack up 16 points in addition to eight boards and three steals.

Calvary was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hartsburg-Emden only posted six.

As for Hartsburg-Emden, they are on a ten-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-8. While losing is never fun, they can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 538th, while Calvary is ranked 32nd).

Hartsburg-Emden's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Peyton Swinford, who posted 19 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. That was a full 42.2% of the Stags' points, marking the sixth time in a row Swinford has put up more than a third of the team's points. Kyler Williams was another key player, putting up 13 points and seven boards.

Calvary and Tri-City will compete for holiday cheer at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hartsburg-Emden will take on Cornerstone Christian in a holiday battle at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The Stags will be up against the Cyclones' rather soft defense (which has allowed 56.5 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.