The Faith Christian Eagles will challenge the Fountain Central Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Faith Christian lost 69-43 to Tri-County last Thursday. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 267th, while the Cavaliers are ranked 89th).
Faith Christian's loss came about despite a quality game from Mattea Maggio, who posted 23 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Johanna Haste, who had six points.
Meanwhile, Fountain Central had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They breezed by Covington to the tune of 52-14 on Tuesday. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 21 points or more this season.
Faith Christian better keep an eye on Brailey Hoagland. She was instrumental in Fountain Central's win, putting up 12 points and five steals. Hoagland is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Hannah Prickett, who went 5 for 8 on her way to 11 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals.
Fountain Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 19-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.3 points per game. As for Faith Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 12 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-12 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Faith Christian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Fountain Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Faith Christian couldn't quite finish off Fountain Central when the teams last played back in January of 2024 and fell 49-46. Can Faith Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
