Basketball Game Preview: Marshall Christian Academy Guardians vs. Tyler HEAT

The Marshall Christian Academy Guardians will head out on the road to square off against Tyler HEAT at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Marshall Christian Academy is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest loss since December 12, 2024 on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a 63-32 loss at the hands of Arkansas. While losing is never fun, the Guardians can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 1163rd in Texas, while the Razorbacks are ranked 200th in Arkansas).

Meanwhile, Tyler HEAT waltzed into their game on Tuesday with 15 straight wins... but they left with 16. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Blue Angels 54-51.

Tyler HEAT's win came from a few key players Marshall Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Waker Hartman, who went 7-for-13 on his way to 22 points. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 15 points per game. Coen Starr was another key player, putting up 12 points along with five rebounds and three steals.

Tyler HEAT's win was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 32-2. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.5 points over those games. As for Marshall Christian Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 8-14 record this season.

Marshall Christian Academy lost to Tyler HEAT on the road by a decisive 59-42 margin when the teams last played back in January. Can Marshall Christian Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.