Althoff Catholic had lost four straight on the road, but on Wednesday they dropped down to 13-15 to make it five. They took a 48-42 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mt. Vernon Rams. While losing is never fun, the Crusaders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 290th, while the Rams are ranked 40th).
As for Mt. Vernon, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 21-7. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.8 points over those games.
It was another big night for David Barnes, who went 7-for-16 on his way to 22 points and seven boards. That's the most points he has posted since back in February of 2025. Eli Prost was another key player, putting up ten points and five rebounds.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. Althoff Catholic will square off against Sparta at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Crusaders will be up against the Bulldogs' rather soft defense (which has allowed 52.43 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Mt. Vernon, they will challenge Marion at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Rams' defense better be ready for this one: the Wildcats have averaged an impressive 58.3 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
