Basketball Game Preview: Ezekiel Academy Knights vs. Evangel Christian Lightning

Ezekiel Academy is 2-8 against Evangel Christian since January of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Ezekiel Academy Knights will take on the Evangel Christian Lightning at 7:00 p.m.

Last Friday, Ezekiel Academy came up short against East Central HomeSchool and fell 58-48.

Ezekiel Academy's loss came about despite a quality game from Kelson Free, who went 5 for 11 on his way to 15 points and three steals. Free's evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Camden Rushing, who posted ten points.

Even though they lost, Ezekiel Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Evangel Christian on Saturday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Southern Christian out of the water with a 69-37 final score. The Lightning have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matchups by 29 points or more this season.

Evangel Christian is also on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points per game. As for Ezekiel Academy, their defeat ended an eight-game streak of away wins and brought them to 22-4.

Ezekiel Academy skirted past Evangel Christian 52-50 in their previous matchup last Friday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ezekiel Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.