The Holy Cross Knights will face off against the Moore Catholic Mavericks at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Holy Cross is no doubt hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
Holy Cross pushed their score all the way to 55 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 63-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mary Louis Academy. While losing is never fun, Holy Cross can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 78th, while Mary Louis Academy is ranked 14th).
Despite the loss, Holy Cross had strong showings from Mona Okorie, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 rebounds and nine blocks, and Kyara Champagne, who scored 34 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Champagne has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Jamie Davneiro, who scored four points.
Meanwhile, Moore Catholic put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Wednesday. They really took it to Fontbonne Hall Academy for the full four quarters, racking up a 82-44 win at home. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 42-22.
Moore Catholic can attribute much of their success to Brianna Caliri, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Emma Costanzo, who scored 17 points along with seven assists. Costanzo continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Alyssa Ragona was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with two steals.
Holy Cross has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-11 record this season. As for Moore Catholic, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 15-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Holy Cross have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Moore Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Holy Cross won a match that couldn't have been any closer in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, slipping by Moore Catholic 64-63. The rematch might be a little tougher for Holy Cross since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
