Basketball Recap: Ethan Hill Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Heartland

Christian Learning Center hadn't done well against Heartland recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Christian Learning Center Mustangs strolled past the Heartland Mustangs with points to spare, taking the game 61-42. This was a revenge game for Christian Learning Center: when they faced off against Heartland back in December of 2024, they had to take a 64-56 loss.

Christian Learning Center got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Ethan Hill out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 15 points and nine steals. The dominant performance gave Hill a new career-high in steals. Ryan Cain also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Zach Stone, who went 9 for 19 en route to 21 points along with seven boards and three blocks. Stone has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Solomon Bollinger, who posted 16 points and three steals.

Christian Learning Center's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points per game. As for Heartland, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-7 record this season.

Christian Learning Center will face off against Plaza Heights Christian Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Plaza Heights Christian Academy is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.7 points per game this season. As for Heartland, they will take on Northland Christian at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Heartland is facing Northland Christian at the right time seeing as Northland Christian is stuck on a five-game losing streak.