The Quad Cities Christian Eagles will head out to square off against the Morning Star Academy Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Quad Cities Christian is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Calvary Christian Academy on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Quad Cities Christian was outmatched by Calvary Christian Academy and fell 63-20. The Eagles were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-7.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Raegan Ochkie, who posted eight points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Ayda Kyer, who earned eight points.
Meanwhile, Morning Star Academy had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 31 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. Everything went their way against the Lions as they made off with a 46-21 victory. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 25 points or more this season.
Quad Cities Christian better keep an eye on Violet Jewell. She was instrumental in Morning Star Academy's win, dropping a double-double on 16 points and 13 boards. The dominant performance also gave Jewell a new career-high in steals (seven). Annabella VonMuenster was another key player, putting up four points along with nine rebounds and three steals.
Morning Star Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.
Morning Star Academy's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-5. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 16.4 points per game. As for Quad Cities Christian, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-14 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Quad Cities Christian has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Morning Star Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Quad Cities Christian couldn't quite finish off Morning Star Academy when the teams last played back in December of 2024 and fell 21-19. Can Quad Cities Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
