Preview: St. Mary's Academy Crusaders vs. Sunrise Christian Academy Silver Buffaloes
Having just played yesterday, the St. Mary's Academy Crusaders will get right back to it and host the Sunrise Christian Academy Silver Buffaloes at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. St. Mary's Academy will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Kansas Rankings (they are ranked 250th, while Sunrise Christian Academy Silver is ranked 64th).
St. Mary's Academy's 15-7 record from last season is now well into the rear view mirror after another tough outing. They took a 51-47 hit to the loss column at the hands of Wichita HomeSchool.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Nick Whitehead, who scored 13 points along with six assists and five steals. Isaac Engholm was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Sunrise Christian Academy Silver scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They claimed a resounding 87-36 victory over Nickerson on the road. Sunrise Christian Academy Silver has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 20 points or more this season.
Sunrise Christian Academy Silver's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Canaan McElroy, who scored 17 points along with three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Marko Pavlovic, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
St. Mary's Academy's loss dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Sunrise Christian Academy Silver, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 10-4.
Friday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: St. Mary's Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sunrise Christian Academy Silver struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
St. Mary's Academy came up short against Sunrise Christian Academy Silver when the teams last played back in March of 2023, falling 65-56. Will St. Mary's Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
