Preview: St. Mary's Lancers vs. Nardin Academy Gators
St. Mary has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Nardin Academy Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Mary's knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three contests -- so hopefully Nardin Academy likes a good challenge.
Last Tuesday, St. Mary's faced Lancaster in a battle between two of the state's top teams. St. Mary's came out on top against Lancaster by a score of 63-55. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
It was another big night for Emily Mcdonald, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and 16 rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Macey Kovach, who scored 15 points.
Meanwhile, Nardin Academy didn't have too much trouble with Mount Mercy Academy on the road on Tuesday as they won 45-30. Given Nardin Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 223rd, while Mount Mercy Academy is ranked 469th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Mary's win bumped their record up to 10-4. As for Nardin Academy, their victory ended a 15-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-6.
Everything came up roses for St. Mary's against Nardin Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 62-34 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for St. Mary's since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
