Basketball Game Preview: Monrovia Wildcats vs. St. Monica Academy Crusaders

Having just played yesterday, the Monrovia Wildcats will get right back to it and host the St. Monica Academy Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Monrovia is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by Marshall to the tune of 88-16 on Friday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Wildcats as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.

Kevin Sayles was his usual excellent self, going 10 for 12 on his way to 23 points and five steals. Sayles is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Julian Cardenas was another key player, putting up ten points along with five rebounds and five steals.

Monrovia was working as a unit and finished the game with 24 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, St. Monica Academy came tearing into Thursday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 69-48 victory. That looming 69-48 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Crusaders yet this season.

Monrovia's win bumped their record up to 5-6. As for St. Monica Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.

Monrovia came up short against St. Monica Academy when the teams last played back in November of 2023, falling 64-57. Can Monrovia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.