Basketball Game Preview: Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter Raiders vs. Monrovia Bulldogs

Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter is 9-1 against Monrovia since January of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter Raiders will be playing at home against the Monrovia Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter has eight straight wins, Monrovia has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

On Tuesday, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter made easy work of Greenwood Christian Academy and carried off a 61-41 victory. The Raiders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 20 points or more this season.

Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Devin Bolden, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 15 boards. Bolden is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down 11 or more in the last four games he's played. Nathan Smith was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 15 points and nine assists.

Meanwhile, Monrovia lost to Mooresville on the road by a 74-60 margin on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 352nd, while the Pioneers are ranked 118th).

Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 21.8 points. As for Monrovia, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.

Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Monrovia in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 70-64 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Monrovia's Jayden Jones, who went 5 of 7 on his way to 16 points along with seven assists and three steals. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.