Basketball Game Preview: St. Joseph D Defenders vs. Shawnee Mission Christian Mustangs

The St. Joseph D Defenders will face off against the Shawnee Mission Christian Mustangs at 7:20 p.m. on Monday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

St. Joseph D lost 65-43 to Whitefield Academy last Tuesday. The Defenders haven't had much luck with the Lions recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.

Meanwhile, Shawnee Mission Christian came up short against Whitefield Academy on Tuesday and fell 52-45. The Mustangs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Defeat or not, Shawnee Mission Christian got some senior leadership from Ben McClure and Alex Preston. McClure dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Preston posted eight points along with nine boards and five assists. That was a full 46.7% of Shawnee Mission Christian's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's put up more than a third of the team's points.

Even though they lost, Shawnee Mission 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 nine offensive boards in ten consecutive games.

St. Joseph D's loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Shawnee Mission Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.

St. Joseph D didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Shawnee Mission Christian in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 46-41 win. Will St. Joseph D repeat their success, or does Shawnee Mission Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.