Preview: Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary Cardinals vs. Saint Joseph Jesters
After six games on the road, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary is heading back home. They will take on the Saint Joseph Jesters at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Saint Joseph in California (Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary is ranked 242nd, while Saint Joseph is ranked 488th).
On Tuesday, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary was able to grind out a solid victory over Serra, taking the game 46-36.
Meanwhile, Saint Joseph was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Monday as they fell 46-42 to Geffen Academy. Saint Joseph has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite their loss, Saint Joseph saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Leah Zabukovac, who scored eight points along with five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Zabukovac continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophia Velonza, who scored 11 points.
Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-9. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.4 points per game. As for Saint Joseph, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-7 record this season.
Everything came up roses for Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary against Saint Joseph when the teams last played back in December of 2023 as the squad secured a 54-16 victory. With Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary ahead 43-8 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
