Basketball Preview: Oakbrook Prep Knights vs. First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest Crusaders
Oakbrook Prep is 2-8 against the Crusaders since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Oakbrook Prep Knights will head out on the road to face off against the First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Oakbrook Prep, who comes in off a win.
Even though Oakbrook Prep has not done well against the Griffins recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Oakbrook Prep skirted past the Griffins 29-27. Despite the victory, that was the fewest points Oakbrook Prep has scored all year.
Oakbrook Prep's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brad Caldwell, who scored 11 points along with three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelton Smith, who scored five points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest struggled with offensive rebounds on Tuesday (the Knights had 14 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest took a hard 56-40 fall against the Knights. First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Tucker Shealy put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 6 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 21 points and 2 assists. He is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Ethan Flynn was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
The win was the third in a row for Oakbrook Prep, bringing their record for this year to 15-8. As for First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-15.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Oakbrook Prep have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like First Presbyterian Academy at Shannon Forest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Oakbrook Prep strolled past the Crusaders in their previous matchup on Tuesday by a score of 56-40. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Shealy, who went 6 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 21 points and 2 assists. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Oakbrook Prep still be able to contain Shealy? There's only one way to find out.
