After three games on the road, James Irwin is heading back home. They will take on the Colorado Springs Christian Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in James Irwin's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last eight games.
Last Tuesday, James Irwin earned a 66-53 win over Woodland Park. Given James Irwin's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 81st, while Woodland Park is ranked 297th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
James Irwin's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Matthew Lebron, who scored 26 points along with six rebounds. Lebron is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Malik Willis, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Rye by a score of 41-39. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Colorado Springs Christian has suffered yet this season.
Despite their defeat, Colorado Springs Christian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jace Velasquez, who scored 13 points along with two steals, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeremiah Schmidt, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Colorado Springs Christian struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
James Irwin's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. As for Colorado Springs Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season.
Saturday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: James Irwin have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 40.1% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Colorado Springs Christian struggles in that department as they've made 37.4% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
James Irwin lost to Colorado Springs Christian at home by a decisive 63-44 margin in their previous meeting back in January of 2023. Thankfully for James Irwin, Nathan Davies (who dropped a double-double on 37 points and 21 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
