The HEARTS for Jesus Christ Guardians will venture away from home to face off against the Westside Christian Academy Eagles at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Last Tuesday, HEARTS for Jesus Christ blew past Varsity Opponent, posting a 40-11 victory. The win continues a trend for the Guardians in their matchups with Varsity Opponent: they've now won seven in a row.
Haven Anthony
| 02/18/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 4 |
| 02/14/25 vs Christian Community | 4 |
| 02/07/25 @ Mentor Christian | 6 |
| 02/06/25 @ Fuchs Mizrachi | 3 |
| 02/04/25 @ Varsity Opponent | 7 |
HEARTS for Jesus Christ's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Haven Anthony led the charge by putting up 14 points in addition to seven boards and four steals. Anthony is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in each of the last five games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Rayna Kawczak, who almost dropped a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
HEARTS for Jesus Christ smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in nine consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Westside Christian Academy made easy work of Lawrence Upper last Monday and carried off a 40-18 victory. The Eagles pushed the score to 38-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Lions cut but never quite recovered from.
Westside Christian Academy found their leader in sophomore Ella Formica, who went 7-for-17 on her way to 15 points along with seven boards and seven steals. Formica continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Olivia Lacorte, who posted eight points and four steals.
HEARTS for Jesus Christ pushed their record up to 10-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 24.5 points. As for Westside Christian Academy, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 4-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: HEARTS for Jesus Christ has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Westside Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 21 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
HEARTS for Jesus Christ was able to grind out a solid win over Westside Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, winning 42-30. The rematch might be a little tougher for HEARTS for Jesus Christ since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
