The Mt. Pleasant Christian Lions will head out on the road to square off against the Master's Hand Christian Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Both are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Master's Hand Christian is hoping to do what Marshall Christian Academy couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Mt. Pleasant Christian's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Mt. Pleasant Christian put the hurt on Marshall Christian Academy with a sharp 58-33 victory. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three games by 21 points or more this season.
Mt. Pleasant Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Karson Battles led the charge by going 7 for 12 on his way to 14 points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jon Caden Moon, who posted 14 points and six rebounds.
Mt. Pleasant Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in eight consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Master's Hand Christian hadn't done well against Marshall Christian Academy recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Master's Hand Christian blew past Marshall Christian Academy 72-48. The Warriors pushed the score to 61-32 by the end of the third, a deficit the Stallions cut but never quite recovered from.
Mt. Pleasant Christian better focus on containing Braedon Canuteson and Branson Solomon as the pair were huge in Master's Hand Christian's win. Canuteson went 5 of 11 on his way to 12 points in addition to five boards and five steals, while Solomon went 6 of 9 on his way to 14 points and six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Nason, who had eight points along with five assists and three steals.
The win was the seventh in a row for Master's Hand Christian, bringing their record for this year to 8-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.3 points per game. As for Mt. Pleasant Christian, they pushed their record up to 5-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mt. Pleasant Christian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Master's Hand Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 44.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Mt. Pleasant Christian against Master's Hand Christian in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as the team secured a 51-23 win. Does Mt. Pleasant Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Master's Hand Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
