Preview: Bethany Christian Bruins vs. Hamilton Marines
Bethany Christian is 6-1 against Hamilton since January of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Bethany Christian Bruins will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Hamilton Marines at 10:00 a.m. Hopefully Bethany Christian is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Hamilton in Indiana (Bethany Christian is ranked 98th, while Hamilton is ranked 366th).
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 19 to 4 on the offensive boards, a fact Bethany Christian proved on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Argos 46-44. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Bethany Christian.
Bethany Christian had a senior duo take command as Mariah Stoltzfus scored 19 points along with four steals and Zoe Willems scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. The contest was Willems' 12th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Karlee Crume, who scored seven points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hamilton was beaten by Lakewood Park Christian 66-10 two weeks ago. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Hamilton in their matchups with Lakewood Park Christian: they've now lost seven in a row.
Bethany Christian's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. As for Hamilton, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-4 record this season.
Everything came up roses for Bethany Christian against Hamilton when the teams last played back in January of 2022 as the squad secured a 54-15 victory. Does Bethany Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hamilton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
