Christ Chapel Academy waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins but they left with three. They came out on top against Saint John Paul the Great Catholic by a score of 45-38. The score was all tied up 22-22 at the break, but Christ Chapel Academy was the better team in the second half.
Zaria Gaskins continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 13 rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Maya Brantley, who scored 14 points along with three steals.
Despite the defeat, Saint John Paul the Great Catholic had strong showings from Saleema Tinner, who scored 19 points along with nine rebounds, and Talia Mendez-Rodriguez, who scored nine points along with 11 rebounds and five steals. Tinner continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played.
Even though they lost, Saint John Paul the Great Catholic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Christ Chapel Academy only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
Christ Chapel Academy has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. As for Saint John Paul the Great Catholic, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season.
Christ Chapel Academy on the road again on Friday and play against Chelsea Academy at 5:30 p.m. on January 12th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Virginia (Chelsea Academy is ranked 126th, while Christ Chapel Academy is ranked 146th). As for Saint John Paul the Great Catholic, they will look to defend their home court on Monday against Immanuel Christian at 5:00 p.m. Immanuel Christian has now lost nine straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 28.
