Preview: Modesto Christian Crusaders vs. St. Mary's Rams
Modesto Christian is 9-1 against St. Mary since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Modesto Christian Crusaders will head out on the road to challenge the St. Mary's Rams at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Modesto Christian put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Tokay 88-51 at home. Given Modesto Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 40th, while Tokay is ranked 764th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Modesto Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Marcus Washington led the charge by scoring 18 points along with seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jeremiah Bernard, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and five assists.
St. Mary's posted their biggest victory since December 9, 2023 on Monday. They claimed a resounding 68-39 win over Tracy at home. St. Mary's pushed the score to 66-25 by the end of the third, a deficit Tracy cut but never quite recovered from.
St. Mary's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Daniel Huerta, who scored 16 points along with seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Cayden Ward, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Modesto Christian's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.3 points per game. As for St. Mary's, their victory bumped their record up to 17-5.
Modesto Christian took their victory against St. Mary's in their previous matchup on January 8th by a conclusive 79-55. The rematch might be a little tougher for Modesto Christian since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
