The Steward Spartans were the 69-56 winner over the Peninsula Catholic Knights when they last played one another back in March of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Steward fell to Peninsula Catholic 54-48.
Steward's loss on Thursday came despite strong showings from Owen Gray and Xavier Nelson. Gray dropped a double-double on 11 points and 16 rebounds, while Nelson scored 11 points. Another player making a difference was Donovan Richardson, who scored ten points.
EJ Joyner was his usual excellent self, scoring 18 points along with six rebounds and six steals for Peninsula Catholic. Joyner has been hot recently, having posted 18 or more points the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Alonso Easterling, who scored seven points along with six rebounds and three blocks.
Steward's defeat dropped their record down to 13-10. As for Peninsula Catholic, they are on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 20-8 record this season.
Steward's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Deep Run at 1:30 p.m. on February 10th. Deep Run is coming into the contest with four straight defeats on the road, meaning Steward will have to defend against a squad hungry for a win. As for Peninsula Catholic, they will challenge Atlantic Shores Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a four-game winning streak alive.
