The Steward Spartans will look to defend their home court on Monday against the Virginia Academy Patriots at 7:00 p.m. Both teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses apiece.
Last Saturday, Steward was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 55-51 to the Bishops.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Owen Gray, who scored 14 points. Ben Vaughn was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Meanwhile, Virginia Academy came up short against the Cadets on Monday and fell 60-53. While losing is never fun, Virginia Academy can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 177th, while the Cadets are ranked 27th).
Like Virginia Academy, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Kevin Reyes Jr. led the charge by scoring 13 points. Another player making a difference was Deng Wutchok, who scored ten points along with two blocks.
Steward has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-9 record this season. As for Virginia Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-18.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Steward have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Virginia Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Steward couldn't quite finish off the Patriots in their previous meeting back in December of 2021 and fell 55-53. Will Steward have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
