The Morning Star Academy Mustangs will look to defend their home court on Monday against the Tri-State Christian Huskies at 5:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Last Saturday, Morning Star Academy was the victim of a tough 57-31 loss at the hands of Hillcrest Academy. While losing is never fun, Morning Star Academy can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Iowa basketball rankings (they are ranked 377th, while Hillcrest Academy is ranked 21st).
Despite their loss, Morning Star Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Addison Smith, who scored 13 points, was perhaps the best of all. Smith scored a full 41.9% of Morning Star Academy's points, the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Violet Jewell, who scored 10 points along with 6 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Tri-State Christian had to start their season on the road on Thursday, and it wasn't the start they were hoping for. They were beaten by Faith Christian 60-10.
Cloey Reuter was Tri-State Christian's leading scorer, having posted four points.
Alice Udelhofen held things down on the boards with four rebounds.
Quad Cities Christian's win bumped their season record to 0-0 while Morning Star Academy's defeat dropped theirs to 3-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Morning Star Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 20.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Tri-State Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11 per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
