The Vanguard College Prep Lions and the Elliot Christian Eagles will face off at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday without much rest having both just played. Vanguard College Prep knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven contests -- so hopefully Elliot Christian likes a good challenge.
Vanguard College Prep is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Delta Charter: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Vanguard College Prep blew Delta Charter out of the water with a 75-34 final score. With the Lions ahead 41-15 at the half, the game was all but over already.
| 02/03/25 vs Delta Charter | 16 |
| 01/28/25 @ Lodi Academy | 19 |
| 01/27/25 vs Stockton Christian | 17 |
| 01/21/25 @ Humphreys Able Charter | 18 |
| 01/16/25 vs Tioga | 16 |
Vanguard College Prep can attribute much of their success to Xavier Lopez, who went 6 for 11 en route to 16 points and three steals, and Nathan Muriithi, who went 5 of 7 on his way to 11 points in addition to six boards and four blocks. Lopez's evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Mathew Prak was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Meanwhile, Elliot Christian entered their tilt with Humphreys Able Charter on Monday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They had just enough and edged the Legacy out 47-45. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since December 7, 2023.
Vanguard College Prep better keep an eye on Jeremy Nielsen. He was instrumental in Elliot Christian's win, going 9 of 19 en route to 23 points and five rebounds. Nielsen is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 21 or more in the last ten games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of James Lappe, who posted 14 points.
Vanguard College Prep is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.3 points per game. As for Elliot Christian, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Vanguard College Prep has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Elliot Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Vanguard College Prep strolled past Elliot Christian in their previous meeting back in January by a score of 68-52. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Nielsen, who had 28 points and five steals. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Vanguard College Prep still be able to contain Nielsen? There's only one way to find out.
