The New Covenant Gryphons will head out on the road to face off against the Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy Ospreys at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. New Covenant is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.5 points per game this season.
Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy is hoping to do what Brunswick Academy couldn't last Friday: put an end to New Covenant's winning streak, which now stands at three games. New Covenant came out on top against Brunswick Academy by a score of 41-33.
New Covenant's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Rusty Hooks led the charge by posting eight points along with six rebounds and three steals. The dominant performance also gave Hooks a new career-high in threes (two). Another player making a difference was Cole Murdock, who posted 14 points.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy over Faith Christian Academy in every quarter on their way to victory last Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy blew Faith Christian Academy out of the water with a 76-10 final score. With the Ospreys ahead 47-3 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Isaiah Keep, who had 12 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Keep is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Garland, who went 5 for 6 en route to 12 points.
Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.
Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy pushed their record up to 3-0 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. As for New Covenant, their record is now 3-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: New Covenant has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.7. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for New Covenant against Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy when the teams last played back in January of 2023, as the squad secured a 69-42 victory. In that contest, New Covenant amassed a halftime lead of 35-15, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
