The Sandoval Blackhawks will venture away from home to challenge the Father McGivney Catholic Griffins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Sandoval will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Sandoval will bounce into Monday's contest after beating Wayne City, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Sandoval claimed a resounding 52-18 win over Wayne City. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Blackhawks have posted since December 2, 2024.
Drew Gore
| 02/14/25 vs Wayne City | 7 |
| 12/07/24 vs Red Hill | 6 |
| 02/03/25 @ Zeigler-Royalton | 5 |
| 01/27/25 vs Maryville Christian | 5 |
| 12/13/24 vs Grayville | 5 |
Drew Gore was the offensive standout of the matchup as he went 5-for-9 on his way to 16 points and seven rebounds. Those seven boards gave him a new career-high. Quentin Heinzman was another key player, putting up six points in addition to 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Sandoval smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 7.3 offensive boards per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 12.2.
Meanwhile, Father McGivney Catholic came up short against Jersey on Saturday and fell 52-42.
Sandoval will have to keep a close watch on Owen Kolesa and Chase Jansen, a pair of players who had a big impact on Father McGivney Catholic's prior game. Kolesa went 5-for-9 to rack up 17 points and five boards, while Jansen went 7-for-16 en route to 14 points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Carson Barone, who posted two points and seven assists.
Father McGivney Catholic has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 13-16 record this season. As for Sandoval, their record now sits at 11-14.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sandoval has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28 boards per game. However, it's not like Father McGivney Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sandoval lost to Father McGivney Catholic on the road by a decisive 58-44 margin when the teams last played back in January of 2022. Can Sandoval avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
