The North Raleigh Christian Academy Knights and the Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders are set to duel on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
North Raleigh Christian Academy will head into Saturday's contest out to bounce back: they lost a heartbreaker on Saturday after a huge 29-point victory in their prior game. They fell just short of Covenant Day by a score of 58-56. The loss continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Lions: they've now lost four in a row.
Despite the defeat, North Raleigh Christian Academy saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Brennen Jefferson went 9 for 15 en route to 21 points plus six rebounds. What's more, Jefferson also racked up three threes, the most he's had since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Cody Dickerson, who earned 14 points.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Gibbons had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They strolled past Heritage with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 67-52.
It was another big night for Cash Mcsweeney, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 13 rebounds. He has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more rebounds the last 14 times he's played. Nicholas Ercolino was another key player, earning 11 points.
Cardinal Gibbons smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive matches.
The win got Cardinal Gibbons back to even at 3-3. As for North Raleigh Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Raleigh Christian Academy has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cardinal Gibbons struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.8. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
North Raleigh Christian Academy beat Cardinal Gibbons 60-53 in their previous meeting back in January. Does North Raleigh Christian Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Cardinal Gibbons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
