On Friday, Northside Christian Academy didn't have too much trouble with Hickory Grove Christian on the road as they won 66-48. Given Northside Christian Academy's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 134th in South Carolina, while Hickory Grove Christian is ranked 441st in North Carolina), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Sullie Crider, who scored 25 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. The match was his tenth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Dane Sundell, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
Hickory Grove Christian lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Kevin Powell, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Tristan Nelson, who scored 12 points along with nine rebounds.
Northside Christian Academy's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Hickory Grove Christian, their loss was their third straight at home, which bumped their record down to 4-9.
Northside Christian Academy will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Gilbert at 7:30 p.m. on January 4th. Gilbert is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak. Hickory Grove Christian and Sports Leadership & Management will face off at 4:30 p.m. on December 28, 2023 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Sports Leadership & Management is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 67.2 points per game.
