The Liberty Christian Patriots waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They snuck past Cristo Rey Research Triangle with a 62-58 victory. Given Liberty Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 259th, while Cristo Rey Research Triangle is ranked 593rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Liberty Christian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ian Sterrett, who scored 21 points along with three steals. Sterrett has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Nate Young, who scored 14 points along with nine rebounds and three steals.
Cristo Rey Research Triangle's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Christian Gill, who scored 27 points along with eight rebounds and three steals, and Jamaal Miller who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 46.6% of Cristo Rey Research Triangle's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Liberty Christian's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-4. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.5 points per game. As for Cristo Rey Research Triangle, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Liberty Christian will take on Southside Christian at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Southside Christian is coming into the match on a five-game losing streak. As for Cristo Rey Research Triangle, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Varsity Opponent at 5:00 p.m.
