Preview: Bishop Kenny Crusaders vs. Sports Leadership & Management
Bishop Kenny has enjoyed a five-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against Sports Leadership & Management at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bishop Kenny had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They took down Rutherford 53-39 on Thursday. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up nine more assists than your opponent, as Bishop Kenny did.
Bishop Kenny's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Clare Coyle, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 16 rebounds. Coyle is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted two or more in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Abby Baker, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Sports Leadership & Management had already won 12 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 36.3 points), and they went ahead and made it 13 on Thursday. They breezed by Somerset Academy - Canyons on the road to the tune of 84-55. Sports Leadership & Management has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 matchups by 22 points or more this season.
Bishop Kenny's win was their 29th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 25-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.8 points per game. As for Sports Leadership & Management, their victory bumped their record up to 23-3.
Bishop Kenny ended up a good deal behind Sports Leadership & Management when the teams last played back in January, losing 53-36. Can Bishop Kenny avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
