Basketball Game Preview: Hope Christian Huskies vs. Lovington Wildcats

The Hope Christian Huskies will square off against the Lovington Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Hope Christian is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Albuquerque Academy just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell to the Chargers 57-52.

Mia Bishop

Rebounds

03/01/25 @ Albuquerque Academy	10
02/27/25 vs Bernalillo	15
02/21/25 vs Del Norte	14
02/13/25 @ Valley	11
02/11/25 vs Albuquerque Academy	8
+ 2 more games

Hope Christian might have lost, but man, Mia Bishop was a machine: she dropped a double-double with 22 points and ten rebounds. Bishop is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last seven games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Louisa Landavazo, who posted four points along with seven assists and four steals.

Meanwhile, Lovington suffered their closest loss since March 8, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Portales by a score of 45-42. The defeat continues a trend for the Wildcats in their meetings with the Rams: they've now lost three in a row.

Hope Christian will have to contain Malaiya Castro as she made an impact in Lovington's last game. She went 5-for-8 to rack up 20 points and eight rebounds. Those eight boards gave Castro a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Abigail Shouse, who earned four points in addition to ten rebounds and four blocks.

Even though they lost, Lovington was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. This was only their sixth loss (out of 21 games) when they've passed the ball that well.

Hope Christian's record now sits at 17-11. As for Lovington, their record is now 16-12.

Hope Christian skirted past Lovington 47-44 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hope Christian since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.