Heritage Academy Gateway hasn't had much luck against East Valley Athletes for Christ recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Heritage Academy Gateway Heroes are taking a road trip to challenge the East Valley Athletes for Christ Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Heritage Academy Gateway is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Premier Prep- PHHoenix on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Heritage Academy Gateway lost 63-40 to Premier Prep- PHHoenix. The Heroes were down 52-31 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
| 12/12/24 @ Premier Prep- PHHoenix | 2 |
| 12/06/24 @ Mission Heights Prep | 2 |
| 12/05/24 vs BASIS - Chandler | 3 |
Despite their defeat, Heritage Academy Gateway saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Brock Akin, who posted nine points and seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Akin is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last three games he's played. Ethan Wright was another key player, putting up nine points.
Meanwhile, East Valley Athletes for Christ suffered their biggest loss since March 12th on Friday. They took a blow against Eduprize, falling 86-55. East Valley Athletes for Christ was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 54-30.
Like Heritage Academy Gateway, East Valley Athletes for Christ lost despite seeing results from several players. Anthony Sorensen led the charge by posting 12 points and seven rebounds. The dominant performance gave Sorensen a new career-high in rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Aaron McAvoy, who put up seven points.
East Valley Athletes for Christ moved to 4-1 with that defeat, which also ended their five-game winning streak. As for Heritage Academy Gateway, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Heritage Academy Gateway has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like East Valley Athletes for Christ struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Heritage Academy Gateway ended up a good deal behind East Valley Athletes for Christ in their previous matchup last Tuesday, losing 64-50. Can Heritage Academy Gateway avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
