Basketball Game Preview: Winston Salem Christian National Lions vs. Riverdale Baptist Crusaders

The Winston Salem Christian National Lions and the Riverdale Baptist Crusaders will round out the year against one another at at 12:45 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Winston Salem Christian National is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Potter's House Christian, who was ranked 23rd in their home state at the time (Winston Salem Christian National was ranked first). Winston Salem Christian National walked away with a 47-34 win over Potter's House Christian on Saturday.

While Riverdale Baptist didn't have the best season last year (they finished 18-27), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Sanford 67-44 on Saturday. The Crusaders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 21 points or more this season.

Riverdale Baptist's win came from a few key players Winston Salem Christian National will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chloe Mills, who posted 12 points in addition to eight assists and five steals. Those 12 points gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Za'Hria Higginbotham, who went 7 of 17 on her way to 19 points and five steals.

Riverdale Baptist smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.

Riverdale Baptist's victory bumped their record up to 14-4. As for Winston Salem Christian National, their win bumped their record up to 15-3.

Everything came up roses for Winston Salem Christian National against Riverdale Baptist in their previous meeting back in March, as the squad secured a 71-43 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Riverdale Baptist's Chrisdin Jones, who went 9 of 17 on her way to 23 points and three steals. Now that she won't be playing on Monday, will it be easier for Winston Salem Christian National to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.