Preview: Calvary Baptist Academy Patriots vs. Cross Lanes Christian Warriors
Calvary Baptist Academy is 8-2 against Cross Lanes Christian since February of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Calvary Baptist Academy Patriots will be playing at home against the Cross Lanes Christian Warriors at 7:00 p.m. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Calvary Baptist Academy has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Cross Lanes Christian will arrive with eight straight victories.
Calvary Baptist Academy managed to keep up with West Logan Christian Academy until halftime last Monday, but things quickly went downhill from there. Calvary Baptist Academy took a serious blow against West Logan Christian Academy, falling 65-35. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Calvary Baptist Academy has suffered since December 16, 2023.
Despite their defeat, Calvary Baptist Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jacob Vaughn, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds and two steals, was perhaps the best of all. Vaughn also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Another player making a difference was James DeGroff, who scored eight points along with six rebounds and three blocks.
Cross Lanes Christian proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by 36) but on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 70-67 win over Teays Valley Christian. 70 seems to be a good number for Cross Lanes Christian as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of points in their previous game.
The match pitted two dominant players against one another in Ashton Gute and Maki Cary. Gute had a great game and scored 20 points along with five assists and three steals. Meanwhile, Cary was balling out in the loss, scoring 23 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Calvary Baptist Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Cross Lanes Christian, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Calvary Baptist Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Cross Lanes Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 34.2 rebounds per game. Given Calvary Baptist Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Cross Lanes Christian will need to find a way to close that gap.
Calvary Baptist Academy came up short against Cross Lanes Christian in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 63-51. Will Calvary Baptist Academy 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.
