The Gaston Christian Eagles's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 44-37 to Hickory Grove Christian. Gaston Christian was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Hickory Grove Christian apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Despite the defeat, Gaston Christian saw an underclassman step up: Happy Arune dropped a double-double on 18 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 48.6% of Gaston Christian's points, marking the tenth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Gianna Mingo was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Hickory Grove Christian's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Lauren Feaster, who scored ten points along with nine rebounds and five steals. Another player making a difference was Mackenzie Williams, who scored 17 points.
Gaston Christian bumped their record down to 2-8 with that loss, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 25.3 points per game. As for Hickory Grove Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 6-9.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Gaston Christian will challenge Concord Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Concord Academy is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games. Hickory Grove Christian will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against Northside Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on January 18th. Hopefully Northside Christian Academy focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 18 last Sunday.
