Basketball Game Preview: Villa Angela-St. Joseph Vikings vs. Harding Raiders

The Villa Angela-St. Joseph Vikings will challenge the Harding Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Villa Angela-St. Joseph knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Harding likes a good challenge.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against St. Ignatius on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Villa Angela-St. Joseph lost 87-67 to St. Ignatius. The Vikings haven't had much luck with the Wildcats recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.

Defeat or not, Villa Angela-St. Joseph got some senior leadership from Jeremiah Martin and Sean Shenker. Martin went 7 of 12 on his way to 17 points and three steals, while Shenker posted 13 points and four steals. Martin's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of OJ Spikes, who put up nine points in addition to six boards and three blocks.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Harding, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They had just enough and edged McKinley out 50-48.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph better keep an eye on Chaz Coleman. He was instrumental in Harding's win, almost dropping a double-double on 23 points and nine rebounds. Another player making a difference was Gummy Hart, who had six points and six rebounds.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph's loss ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 2-1. As for Harding, they now also have a winning record of 2-1.

Friday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Villa Angela-St. Joseph just can't miss this season, having nailed 50.6% of their shots per game. However, it's not like Harding struggles in that department as they've made 48% of their field goals this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph came up short against Harding in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 62-55. Thankfully for Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Ny Coleman (who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.