Preview: Grace Christian Academy Crusaders vs. Illinois Lutheran Chargers
Grace Christian Academy is 1-9 against Illinois Lutheran since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Grace Christian Academy Crusaders will head out on the road to face off against the Illinois Lutheran Chargers at 7:00 p.m. Grace Christian Academy is hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses.
Grace Christian Academy pushed their score all the way to 60 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They ended up on the wrong side of a rough 80-60 walloping at the hands of Unity Christian Academy. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Grace Christian Academy in their matchups with Unity Christian Academy: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite their loss, Grace Christian Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sam Marquardt, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Noah Bisping, who scored 11 points.
Grace Christian Academy struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only an offensive rebound. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Unity Christian Academy pulled down nine offensive rebounds.
Illinois Lutheran suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Wednesday. They were outmatched by Gardner-South Wilmington on the road and fell 72-40. Illinois Lutheran was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-21.
Illinois Lutheran's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jaden Walls, who scored ten points along with eight rebounds, and Tristan Biesterfeld who scored 15 points along with two steals. Sam Adeniran was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Grace Christian Academy's loss dropped their record down to 2-13. As for Illinois Lutheran, their loss dropped their record down to 3-12.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Marquardt and Adeniran. Marquardt has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 17.4 points, 1.4 blocks, and 2 steals. For his part, Adeniran has averaged 15.1 points and 2.8 assists.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Grace Christian Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 20.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Illinois Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 27 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
