The James Irwin Jaguars will square off against the Thomas MacLaren School Highlanders at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. James Irwin has now lost seven straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since the first.
Last Friday, James Irwin had to suffer through a 69-38 loss at the hands of Liberty Tree Academy.
Abdoulaye Ballo
| 02/21/25 @ Liberty Tree Academy | 5 |
| 02/17/25 @ The Vanguard School | 1 |
| 12/14/24 vs Widefield | 1 |
| 02/16/24 @ Evangel Christian Academy | 1 |
| 02/13/24 @ The Vanguard School | 1 |
Despite the defeat, James Irwin had strong showings from Jonathan Kimble, who dropped a double-double with 22 points and 16 boards, and Abdoulaye Ballo, who posted 14 points along with eight rebounds and five blocks. Those five blocks gave Ballo a new career-high.
Even though they lost, James Irwin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Thomas MacLaren School played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Crowley County and fell 73-35. While losing is never fun, the Highlanders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 217th, while the Chargers are ranked 55th).
James Irwin will need to focus on slowing down Jake Frisbie, one of several Thomas MacLaren School players who made an impact when they last played. He scored eight points and ten rebounds. Frisbie is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathaniel Stokes, who put up 13 points.
Thomas MacLaren School has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-11 record this season. James Irwin's loss dropped their record down to 2-15.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: James Irwin has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Thomas MacLaren School struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
James Irwin strolled past Thomas MacLaren School in their previous meeting back in December of 2023 by a score of 52-37. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Thomas MacLaren School's Beckett Shannon, who went 8-for-17 on his way to 17 points and seven steals. Now that he won't be playing on Monday, will it be easier for James Irwin to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
