Portsmouth Christian has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Denbigh Baptist Christian Minutemen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Portsmouth Christian struggled with threes on Thursday (Richmond Christian had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Portsmouth Christian suffered a tough 58-35 defeat at the hands of Richmond Christian. Portsmouth Christian was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 41-17.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Cloee Comberiati, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 14 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Delani Nash, who scored eight points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Denbigh Baptist Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They fell 47-35 to Hampton Christian Academy. While losing is never fun, Denbigh Baptist Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 292nd, while Hampton Christian Academy is ranked 90th).
Denbigh Baptist Christian's loss came about despite a quality game from Payten Gary, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Rylee Stewart was another key contributor, scoring four points along with four steals.
Portsmouth Christian has traveled a rocky road recently having lost ten of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-16 record this season. As for Denbigh Baptist Christian, their loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 9-10.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Portsmouth Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Denbigh Baptist Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Portsmouth Christian came up short against Denbigh Baptist Christian in their previous matchup back in January, falling 27-22. Can Portsmouth Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
