Basketball Game Preview: Rockwell Marshals vs. Intermountain Christian Lions

The Rockwell Marshals will square off against the Intermountain Christian Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rockwell knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Intermountain Christian likes a good challenge.

Last Tuesday, Rockwell was able to grind out a solid victory over American Prep WV, taking the game 67-57. That's two games straight that the Marshals have won by exactly ten points.

Isaac Christiansen and Cesare Baiardi were among the main playmakers for Rockwell as the former went 10 of 18 en route to 26 points and seven rebounds and the latter went 7 for 14 on his way to 20 points along with eight boards and seven assists. Those 26 points gave Christiansen a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kaysen Rife, who posted nine points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Intermountain Christian came up short against Vanguard Academy on Tuesday and fell 64-54.

Rockwell's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-11. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.3 points per game. As for Intermountain Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-10 record this season.

Everything came up roses for Rockwell against Intermountain Christian in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, as the squad secured an 80-49 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Intermountain Christian's Noah Hillaker, who went 7 of 12 from beyond the arc en route to 27 points in addition to seven boards and four blocks. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Rockwell still be able to contain Hillaker? There's only one way to find out.