Preview: Blue Ridge Christian Bears vs. Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy Ospreys
The Blue Ridge Christian Bears will take on the Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy Ospreys at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Blue Ridge Christian is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
Blue Ridge Christian scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Temple Christian as Blue Ridge Christian made off with a 69-43 win. Blue Ridge Christian has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 20 points or more this season.
Blue Ridge Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Callie Paradzinski, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 assists. It was the first time this season that Paradzinski posted eight or more assists. Alisha Gingerich was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on 26 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy walked away with it. They snuck past the Crusaders with a 45-40 victory on Tuesday.
Jordan White was the offensive standout of the match as she dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last 12 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Adah Tuckwiller, who scored 14 points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Blue Ridge Christian's win bumped their record up to 16-2. As for Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Blue Ridge Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Blue Ridge Christian didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, but they still walked away with a 40-34 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Tuckwiller, who scored 16 points along with three steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Blue Ridge Christian still be able to contain Tuckwiller? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
