Pathway Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 51-44 defeat to Tri-State Christian. Pathway Christian found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and rack up nine fewer assists than your opponent.
Pathway Christian's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Denver Nelson, who scored 14 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Preston Yutzy, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Tri-State Christian to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nick Vannorsdel, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that Vannorsdel pulled down eight or more rebounds. Will Cunningham was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with eight rebounds.
Pathway Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 6-11. As for Tri-State Christian, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 4-2.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pathway Christian won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Quad Cities Christian at 6:00 p.m. on January 5th. The timing is sure in Quad Cities Christian's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Pathway Christian has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season. Tri-State Christian won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Unity Christian at 6:30 p.m. on January 5th. Unity Christian comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
