Preview: Heartland Mustangs vs. Christian Learning Center Mustangs
Heartland is on a six-game streak of home wins, while Christian Learning Center is on a seven-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Heartland Mustangs will take on the Christian Learning Center Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Heartland: 27.4, Christian Learning Center: 26.8) so any points scored will be well earned.
Last Tuesday, Heartland earned a 34-22 victory over Plaza Heights Christian Academy.
Esther Archibald was her usual excellent self, scoring 14 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. Archibald is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Elizabeth Archibald was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Meanwhile, Christian Learning Center can now show off eight landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They really took it to Center Place for the full four quarters, racking up a 49-16 win at home. Given Christian Learning Center's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 90th in Kansas, while Center Place is ranked 411th in Missouri), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Christian Learning Center's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Rylie Allen, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds and two blocks. Another player making a difference was Callie Trezona, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds.
Heartland's victory bumped their record up to 11-3. As for Christian Learning Center, their win bumped their record up to 11-0.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant against one another: Archibald and Allen. Archibald has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 15.2 points, 7.5 steals, and 6.4 rebounds. For her part, Allen has averaged 16.6 points, 2.5 blocks, and 3.5 steals.
Heartland might still be hurting after the 47-25 defeat they got from Christian Learning Center in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Christian Learning Center's Micah Bean, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 18 rebounds. Now that Heartland knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
