Basketball Game Preview: New Hope Christian Warriors vs. Powers Cruisers

The New Hope Christian Warriors will head out on the road to challenge the Powers Cruisers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as New Hope Christian comes in on 13 and Powers on five.

Last Saturday, New Hope Christian didn't have too much trouble with Days Creek as they won 56-38. Given the Warriors' advantage in MaxPreps' Oregon basketball rankings (they are ranked 59th, while the Wolves are ranked 260th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

New Hope Christian got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Ava Barnett out in front who went 12 for 24 on her way to 26 points along with six steals and five assists. That makes it three consecutive games in which Barnett has scored at least a third of New Hope Christian's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cadence Gonzales, who almost dropped a triple-double on nine points, ten rebounds, and 13 steals.

New Hope Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 17 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Powers beat Camas Valley 42-29 on Saturday.

New Hope Christian pushed their record up to 13-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.2 points. As for Powers, they have been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season.

New Hope Christian strolled past Powers in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 46-29. Does New Hope Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Powers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.