After both having extra time off, the Patrick Henry Patriots and the Mt. Carmel Sundevils will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Patrick Henry is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.1 points per game this season.
Two weeks ago, Patrick Henry didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Classical Academy, but they still walked away with a 44-39 win.
Patrick Henry relied on the efforts of Ally Mangahis, who posted 15 points, and Kyerra Bell, who earned 11 points and seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kimora Nears, who had three points.
Meanwhile, Mt. Carmel was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap two weeks ago as they fell 53-49 to Poway.
Despite the defeat, Mt. Carmel saw an underclassman step up: freshman Ariana Gonzalez almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine steals. Those nine steals set a new season-high mark for Gonzalez. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Weede, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 boards.
Even though they lost, Mt. Carmel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 17 offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.
Mt. Carmel has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. As for Patrick Henry, their victory bumped their record up to 9-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Patrick Henry has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Mt. Carmel struggles in that department as they've been averaging 41.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Patrick Henry took a serious blow against Mt. Carmel in their previous meeting back in December of 2019, falling 59-25. Can Patrick Henry avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
