Preview: Modesto Christian Crusaders vs. Lincoln Trojans
Modesto Christian is 8-2 against the Trojans since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Modesto Christian Crusaders will head out on the road to challenge the Lincoln Trojans at 6:30 p.m. One thing working in Modesto Christian's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last six matchups.
Even though Lynwood scored an imposing 78 points on Saturday, Modesto Christian still came out on top. Modesto Christian walked away with an 88-78 win over the Knights. Given Modesto Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Knights are ranked 101st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Marcus Washington and Gavin Sykes were among the main playmakers for Modesto Christian as the former dropped a double-double on 25 points and 11 rebounds and the latter dropped a double-double on 25 points and 11 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Washington has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Myles Jones, who scored 15 points.
In what's become a running theme this season, Lincoln gave their fans yet another huge win on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Tokay 88-26 at home. Lincoln's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Lincoln's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Quentin Thompson, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds and three blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Donez Lindsey, who scored 11 points along with seven assists and three steals.
Modesto Christian's win was their 12th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-3. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.4 points per game. As for Lincoln, they are on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 20-4 record this season.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Sykes and Anthony Moore. Sykes has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 21.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. For his part, Moore has averaged 15.2 points and 2.2 steals.
Modesto Christian strolled past the Trojans in their previous meeting back in January by a score of 68-53. The rematch might be a little tougher for Modesto Christian since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
