Basketball Game Preview: Temple Christian Eagles vs. Fort Worth THESA Riders

Two dominant guards in Jeremiah Thirdkill and Will Day are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Temple Christian Eagles and the Fort Worth THESA Riders will round out the year against one another at at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Temple Christian took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 69-44 margin over Trinity Valley.

Thirdkill was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 21 points and ten boards. He also grabbed five steals, which is notable because Temple Christian is 7-3 when he posts at least three steals, but 1-3 otherwise. Jessie Dejesus was another key player, going 7 for 13 on his way to 18 points and six rebounds.

Temple Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Fort Worth THESA blew past Heritage Christian Athletics, posting a 78-44 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Riders.

Temple Christian pushed their record up to 8-6 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points per game. As for Fort Worth THESA, their win bumped their record up to 12-6.

Temple Christian lost to Fort Worth THESA on the road by a decisive 56-41 margin when the teams last played back in December of 2015. Can Temple Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.