Basketball Game Preview: Ohio Valley Christian vs. Cross Lanes Christian Warriors

Ohio Valley Christian will challenge the Cross Lanes Christian Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Ohio Valley Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They were the clear victor by a 66-46 margin over Elk Valley Christian on Friday. The victory was all the more spectacular given Ohio Valley Christian's disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 807th in Ohio, while Elk Valley Christian is ranked 92nd in West Virginia).

Meanwhile, Cross Lanes Christian came up short against Bloomingdale on Monday and fell 65-56. The Warriors have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Ohio Valley Christian will need to focus on slowing down Landon Ballard, one of several Cross Lanes Christian players who made an impact when they last played. He dropped a double-double with 16 points and 14 boards. Ballard has become a key player for Cross Lanes Christian: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least ten rebounds, but 1-15 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Christian Shamblin, who went 7 of 14 on his way to 16 points and three blocks.

Even though they lost, Cross Lanes Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.

Ohio Valley Christian's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-12. As for Cross Lanes Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 3-16.

Ohio Valley Christian skirted past Cross Lanes Christian 41-38 in their previous meeting two weeks ago. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Shamblin, who went 7 for 14 to rack up 16 points along with seven boards and three blocks. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Ohio Valley Christian still be able to contain Shamblin? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.