Preview: Liberty Christian Patriots vs. Southside Christian Warriors
Liberty Christian has enjoyed a seven-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Southside Christian Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Liberty Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matches -- so hopefully Southside Christian likes a good challenge.
Liberty Christian posted their biggest win since November 27, 2023 on Tuesday. They breezed by Wilmington Christian Academy at home to the tune of 68-41. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 40-15.
Liberty Christian can attribute much of their success to Ian Sterrett, who scored 22 points along with four steals, and Jakeem Bradford, who scored 29 points along with seven rebounds and six steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Sterrett has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Nate Young, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Southside Christian unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. The match between Southside Christian and Neuse Charter wasn't particularly close, with Southside Christian falling 54-39.
The losing side was boosted by Luke Boush, who scored 28 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. He has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last four times he's played. Aiden Kunkel was another key contributor, scoring no points along with six steals.
Liberty Christian's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points per game. As for Southside Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.
Thursday's game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Bradford and Boush. Bradford has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 22.4 points, 4.1 steals, and 4.4 assists. For his part, Boush has averaged 24 points, 1.9 steals, and 5.8 rebounds.
