Preview: Shawnee Mission Christian Mustangs vs. First Baptist Crusaders
The Shawnee Mission Christian Mustangs will face off against the First Baptist Crusaders at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Shawnee Mission Christian will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in their respective state's rankings (they are ranked 270th in Kansas, while First Baptist is ranked 69th in Minnesota).
Last Friday, Shawnee Mission Christian came up short against Northeast Kansas Nighthawks HomeSchool and fell 36-28. Shawnee Mission Christian has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Shawnee Mission Christian had strong showings from Jeydan Umberger, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 17 rebounds, and Isabella Anderson, who scored six points along with eight rebounds and four steals. That's the first time this season that Umberger scored 15 or more points. Emily Kleczka was another key contributor, scoring a point along with 11 rebounds and two steals.
After soaring to a 22-point victory in their last game, First Baptist came back down to earth on Tuesday. They fell just short of South Metro HomeSchool by a score of 41-39. It was the first time this season that First Baptist let down their fans at home.
First Baptist's defeat came about despite a quality game from Lydia Wynja, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 21 rebounds. Wynja is absolutely dominating the rebound category: she's posted at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Maya McKinney, who scored seven points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Shawnee Mission Christian has been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season. As for First Baptist, their loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Shawnee Mission Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 38.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for First Baptist, though, as they've been averaging only 41.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Shawnee Mission Christian came up short against First Baptist in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, falling 26-17. Can Shawnee Mission Christian avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
