Basketball Preview: Jupiter Christian Eagles vs. Pine Knights
Jupiter Christian and the Knights are an even 3-3 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Jupiter Christian Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Pine Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Jupiter Christian came into Monday's match having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victor by a 34-13 margin over Leonard. The win was just what Jupiter Christian needed coming off of a 51-28 loss in their prior match.
Jupiter Christian found their leader in underclassman Emilia Edgar, who scored 16 points. Another player making a difference was Anna Norus, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Pine waltzed into their game on Thursday with three straight wins but they left with four. They claimed a resounding 69-36 win over NSU University at home. The score was close at the half, but Pine pulled away in the second half with 40 points.
Emily Shirk continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 36 points and 13 rebounds. That makes it ten consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Pine's points. Aspen Schellenberg was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
The victory got Jupiter Christian back to even at 8-8. As for Pine, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Jupiter Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Pine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Jupiter Christian lost to the Knights on the road by a decisive 47-33 margin in their previous meeting last Thursday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Shirk, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and ten rebounds. Now that Jupiter Christian knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
