The Father McGivney Catholic Griffins will take on the Sandoval Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The timing isn't great for Father McGivney Catholic: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Sandoval has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
On Saturday, Father McGivney Catholic came up short against Jersey and fell 52-42.
Despite the loss, Father McGivney Catholic had strong showings from Owen Kolesa, who went 5-for-9 en route to 17 points and five boards, and Chase Jansen, who went 7-for-16 to rack up 14 points and six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Barone, who posted two points and seven assists.
Meanwhile, Sandoval hadn't done well against Wayne City recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Sandoval breezed past Wayne City to the tune of 52-18. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Blackhawks have posted since December 2, 2024.
Father McGivney Catholic better keep an eye on Drew Gore. He was instrumental in Sandoval's win, going 5-for-9 on his way to 16 points and seven rebounds. Those seven boards gave Gore a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Quentin Heinzman, who earned six points along with 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Sandoval smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 7.3 offensive boards per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 12.2.
Sandoval's win bumped their record up to 11-14. As for Father McGivney Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-16.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Father McGivney Catholic has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Sandoval struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Father McGivney Catholic strolled past Sandoval when the teams last played back in January of 2022 by a score of 58-44. Does Father McGivney Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sandoval turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
