Preview: Joshua Springs Christian Lightning vs. Palm Valley FIREBIRDS
The Joshua Springs Christian Lightning on the road again on Monday and play against the Palm Valley FIREBIRDS at 5:00 p.m. on January 22nd. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Friday, Joshua Springs Christian was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 34-28 to Weaver.
Meanwhile, Palm Valley unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of Desert Chapel by a score of 38-36. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Palm Valley has suffered yet this season.
The losing side was boosted by Alex Ratner, who scored two points along with 13 rebounds and three blocks. Ratner is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Matteo Lam, who scored 11 points along with three steals.
Joshua Springs Christian's loss was their seventh straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 0-7. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 17.0 points per game. As for Palm Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-2.
Joshua Springs Christian was taken down by Palm Valley 65-9 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Joshua Springs Christian was down 36-2.
