The Bishop Kenny Crusaders and the Braden River Pirates will round out the year against one another at at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Braden River is hoping to do what Columbia couldn't on Friday: put an end to Bishop Kenny's winning streak, which now stands at five games. Bishop Kenny blew past Columbia 65-20. With that victory, the Crusaders brought their scoring average up to 50.8 points per game.
Makala DesJarlais
| 12/20/24 @ Columbia | 21 |
| 12/19/24 vs Camden County | 10 |
| 12/10/24 vs Oakleaf | 7 |
| 12/05/24 vs Paxon School For Advanced Studies | 4 |
| 12/13/24 vs Tocoi Creek | 2 |
Bishop Kenny found their leader in sophomore Makala DesJarlais, who made all 6 shots she took to post 21 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points DesJarlais has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kathleen Crawley, who posted 12 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Braden River's strategy against Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Braden River blew Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy out of the water with a 45-3 final score. With the Pirates ahead 26-3 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Braden River's win came from a few key players Bishop Kenny will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kelis McGrady, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. The game was her third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Mya Ortega, who went 6 of 9 on her way to 13 points and eight rebounds.
Braden River smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January.
Bishop Kenny's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Braden River, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-4.
Friday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Bishop Kenny has been crazy accurate this season, having made 47.6% of their shots per game. However, it's not like Braden River struggles in that department as they've made 58.2% of their field goals this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Bishop Kenny suffered a grim 63-43 defeat to Braden River when the teams last played back in December of 2019. Can Bishop Kenny avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
