Basketball Recap: Avery Steidinger and Carter Patterson Secure Win for Central Christian

Central Christian waltzed into their contest on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They managed a 68-63 victory over the Praise Academy Lions. This was a revenge game for the Crusaders: when they faced off against the Lions back in November of 2024, they had to take a 78-65 loss.

Leading Central Christian to victory were Carter Patterson and Avery Steidinger. Patterson dropped a double-double on 18 points and 21 boards, while Steidinger went 11 for 21 en route to 27 points in addition to six assists and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Patterson is now averaging an impressive 9.1 boards per game. Lukas Crane was another key player, going 5 of 12 on his way to 13 points.

Central Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.

Central Christian is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 8-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.3 points per game. As for Praise Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-12 record this season.

Central Christian won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Holy Ground Baptist Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Central Christian's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last six games. Praise Academy does not have any more games scheduled as of now.