Pathway Christian was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They took a hard 39-20 fall against the Unity Christian Knights. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 656th in Iowa, while the Knights are ranked 325th in Illinois).
Despite the defeat, Pathway Christian saw an underclassman step up: freshman Maggie Shetler posted nine points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals. That was a full 45% of Pathway Christian's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's put up more than a third of the team's points.
Unity Christian was led to victory by Emily Merema and Julia Van Kampen. Merema went 8 for 18 on her way to 17 points in addition to eight boards and three steals, while Van Kampen went 6 of 13 on her way to 14 points and three steals. Merema has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Abi Middendorp, who had two points and nine boards.
Pathway Christian's loss dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Unity Christian, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 7-4.
Coincidentally, both will both be playing Morning Star Academy the next time they take the court. Pathway Christian will host Morning Star Academy at 5:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025, while Unity Christian will host them at 5:00 p.m. on January 9, 2025.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
