Basketball Game Preview: St. Michael the Archangel Warriors vs. Catholic Crusaders

Two dominant guards in Dezzie Ainsworth and Ashton Walker are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The St. Michael the Archangel Warriors will venture away from home to take on the Catholic Crusaders at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in St. Michael the Archangel's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 13 matches.

St. Michael the Archangel is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Blue Ridge just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Wednesday. They received a blow as they fell 82-65 to the Barons. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Barons are ranked second).

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Isaiah Savage, who posted 14 points. That's the most points he has posted since back in February of 2024. Ainsworth was another key player, putting up ten points along with seven boards and three steals.

Even though they lost, St. Michael the Archangel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Catholic came into Tuesday's matchup having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They strolled past Norfolk Academy with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 59-40.

St. Michael the Archangel's loss dropped their record down to 12-5. As for Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 10-8.