Basketball Game Preview: First Baptist Crusaders vs. Liberty Christian Eagles

The First Baptist Crusaders will take on the Liberty Christian Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. First Baptist's defense has only allowed 30 points per game this season, so Liberty Christian's offense will have their work cut out for them.

On Friday, First Baptist was able to grind out a solid victory over Woodcrest Baptist Academy, taking the game 42-31. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Crusaders.

Lydia Wynja continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 27 points and 16 rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 20 games she's played dating back to last season. Maya McKinney was another key player, putting up a point in addition to nine rebounds and three blocks.

First Baptist smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 14 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Liberty Christian didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Lake Region Christian on Saturday, but they still walked away with a 31-26 win.

First Baptist has also been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.4 points per game. As for Liberty Christian, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.

Everything came up roses for First Baptist against Liberty Christian in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 54-23 win. Will First Baptist repeat their success, or does Liberty Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.