Preview: Roncalli Royals vs. Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles
The Roncalli Royals's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on December 22nd. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Roncalli has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three contests by 20 points or more this season. They took their match on the road on Saturday with ease, bagging a 61-24 victory over Beech Grove. Given Roncalli's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 150th, while Beech Grove is ranked 358th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Roncalli's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Drew Kegerreis led the charge by scoring 13 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Those three steals set a new season-high mark for him. Noah Schmaltz was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Guerin Catholic's and Heritage Christian's contest on Friday was close at halftime, but Guerin Catholic turned on the heat in the second half with 39 points. Guerin Catholic blew past Heritage Christian 63-40. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Guerin Catholic has managed all season.
Guerin Catholic's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dylan Murans, who scored 22 points. Those 22 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Bryson Cardinal, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Roncalli's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Guerin Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.
Friday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Roncalli have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Guerin Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 26 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Roncalli came up short against Guerin Catholic in their previous matchup back in February, falling 62-52. Can Roncalli avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
