The Grace Lutheran Royals will face off against the Mackay Miners at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Grace Lutheran didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against Taylor's Crossing by a score of 49-42 on Tuesday. Given the Royals' advantage in MaxPreps' Idaho basketball rankings (they are ranked 28th, while the Eagles are ranked 99th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Mackay, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They took down Leadore 58-39 on Friday. That 19 point margin sets a new team best for the Miners this season.
Mackay's win came from a few key players Grace Lutheran will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jesse Barger, who went 8 of 10 en route to 20 points. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Kaizer Summers, who posted 13 points in addition to eight rebounds and four steals.
Grace Lutheran's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Mackay, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Grace Lutheran skirted past Mackay 40-37 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Grace Lutheran since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
