Basketball Game Preview: Mt. Olive Wildcats vs. Lutheran Crusaders

The Mt. Olive Wildcats will square off against the Lutheran Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Mt. Olive has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Lutheran will arrive with four straight victories.

Last Tuesday, Mt. Olive came up short against East Alton-Wood River and fell 55-42.

David Schoen put forth a good effort for the losing side as he almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew Bywater, who posted six points and seven boards.

Meanwhile, everything went Lutheran's way against Hartsburg-Emden on Tuesday as Lutheran made off with a 76-50 win.

Lutheran pushed their record up to 8-18 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.5 points over those games. As for Mt. Olive, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-19.

Mt. Olive suffered a grim 67-47 defeat to Lutheran when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Will Mt. Olive have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.