After flying high against the Pine Knights last Friday, the Dade Christian Crusaders came back down to earth. Dade Christian took a 53-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cavaliers on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, Dade Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 400th, while the Cavaliers are ranked 156th).
Dade Christian lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Kenvenson Malivert, who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine rebounds. Malivert is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 16 games he's played. Kevin Rojo was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds.
Coral Gables' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gabriel Chang, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Chang has been hot recently, having posted 16 or more points the last six times he's played. Another player making a difference was Bruno Sanchez, who scored 14 points along with six assists.
Dade Christian has not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-10 record this season. As for Coral Gables, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season.
Dade Christian will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Hawks at 7:30 p.m. As for Coral Gables, they will face off against the Falcons at TBD on Tuesday. Ferguson knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 17 games -- so hopefully the Cavaliers like a good challenge.
