There's no place like home for the New Athens Yellow Jackets, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road on Saturday. They escaped with a win on Tuesday against Father McGivney Catholic by the margin of a single free throw, 46-45. The victory was all the more spectacular given New Athens' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 322nd, while Father McGivney Catholic is ranked 117th).
Isaiah Lintker was his usual excellent self, scoring 19 points along with 8 rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which he has scored at least 25% of New Athens' points. Another player making a difference was Ethan Range, who scored 13 points.
Despite the defeat, Father McGivney Catholic saw an underclassman step up: Nolan Keller scored 18 points. The game was Keller's third in a row with at least ten points. Noah Garner was another key contributor, scoring 9 points.
The victory got New Athens back to even at 2-2. As for Father McGivney Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. New Athens will take on Gibault Catholic at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Father McGivney Catholic, they will head out on the road to face off against Wesclin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Wesclin will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
