Preview: Ignite Athletics Flames vs. Parkersburg Christian
The Ignite Athletics Flames will head out on the road to face off against Parkersburg Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ignite Athletics has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
On Tuesday, things could have been worse for Ignite Athletics, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 67-51 loss to Varsity Opponent. Ignite Athletics has struggled against Varsity Opponent recently, as their game on Tuesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Ignite Athletics' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Charlie Hanks, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Braxton Stricklin who scored 15 points along with six rebounds. It was the first time this season that Stricklin scored 15 or more points. Spencer Boyce was another key contributor, scoring four points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Ignite Athletics were working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Parkersburg Christian struggled with assists on Friday (Morgantown Christian Academy had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Parkersburg Christian was dealt a 74-38 defeat at the hands of Morgantown Christian Academy. Parkersburg Christian has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Parkersburg Christian got a solid performance out of Wyatt Meadows, who scored 22 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. That was a full 57.9% of Parkersburg Christian's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Joe Johnson, who scored four points along with seven assists and two steals.
Ignite Athletics' loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-19. As for Parkersburg Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-13 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ignite Athletics have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Parkersburg Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ignite Athletics lost to Parkersburg Christian on the road by a decisive 52-36 margin in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Johnson, who scored 22 points along with three steals. Now that Ignite Athletics knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
