Basketball Game Preview: St. Francis Spartans vs. Sycamore Spartans

St. Francis is on a four-game streak of home losses, Sycamore a three-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck will change on Tuesday. The St. Francis Spartans will host the Sycamore Spartans at 7:00 p.m. Sycamore took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on St. Francis, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, St. Francis turned things around against Thornton on Saturday. They ended the year with a bang, routing the Wildcats 50-26. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Spartans have posted since November 25, 2024.

St. Francis got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Riley Austin out in front who went 6 of 13 on her way to 14 points along with eight boards and five blocks. Those five blocks gave Austin a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of T?a Rubino, who posted 11 points.

St. Francis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Sycamore ended up a good deal behind Hampshire on Friday and lost 55-39.

St. Francis' win bumped their record up to 3-10. As for Sycamore, their loss dropped their record down to 5-11.

St. Francis didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Sycamore in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 57-52 victory. Does St. Francis have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sycamore turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.