Basketball Preview: Banning Lewis Academy Stallions vs. Colorado Springs Christian Lions
The Banning Lewis Academy Stallions will head out on the road to square off against the Colorado Springs Christian Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Banning Lewis Academy has seven straight victories, the Lions have seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Even though Banning Lewis Academy has not done well against the Spartans recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Banning Lewis Academy sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 64-61 victory over the Spartans. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Joseph Bjegovich continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 19 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Tyson Robertson was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs Christian struggled with three-point shooting accuracy on Saturday (the Highlanders were 24% better) and sadly the final score reflected it. Colorado Springs Christian fell 42-32 to the Highlanders.
Despite their loss, Colorado Springs Christian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Miguel Cota-cordova, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and nine rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Micah Akpata, who scored eight points.
Banning Lewis Academy pushed their record up to 14-3 with that victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.5 points per game. As for Colorado Springs Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Banning Lewis Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Colorado Springs Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Banning Lewis Academy beat the Lions 50-42 when the teams last played back in February of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Banning Lewis Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
