Basketball Game Preview: Riverdale Baptist Crusaders vs. Fairfax Christian Cardinals

The Riverdale Baptist Crusaders will square off against the Fairfax Christian Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Riverdale Baptist is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Bishop O'Connell, who was ranked sixth in their home state at the time (Riverdale Baptist was ranked 14th). Riverdale Baptist came up short against Bishop O'Connell on Saturday, falling 63-41. The matchup marked the Crusaders' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Riverdale Baptist's defeat came about despite a quality game from Ean McLaughlin, who posted 12 points. Another player making a difference was Myles McFadden, who had four points.

Meanwhile, Fairfax Christian played a tough game on Monday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 79-44 loss at the hands of Bishop O'Connell. That's two games in a row now that the Cardinals have lost by exactly 35 points.

Riverdale Baptist will need focus on slowing down Trey Fitch, one of several Fairfax Christian players who made an impact when they last played. He went 6 of 11 en route to 15 points. That's the most points Fitch has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Frank Siaca Bey, who scored ten points and seven rebounds.

Riverdale Baptist's defeat dropped their record down to 13-6. As for Fairfax Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-9 record this season.

Riverdale Baptist came up short against Fairfax Christian in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 70-64. Will Riverdale Baptist have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.