The Benedictine Bengals were the 62-58 winner over the Padua Franciscan Bruins when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. Benedictine received a tough blow on Thursday as they fell 56-42 to Padua Franciscan. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Benedictine came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 219th, while Padua Franciscan is ranked 612th).
Despite the loss, Benedictine had strong showings from John Horn, who scored five points along with four steals, and Kris Smith, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds. Those four steals set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Mek Black, who scored six points.
Benedictine's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-4. As for Padua Franciscan, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 2-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Benedictine will square off against Villa Angela-St. Joseph at 7:00 p.m. on January 5, 2024. Villa Angela-St. Joseph has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 318 points over their last five contests. As for Padua Franciscan, they will head out on the road to face off against North at 7:00 p.m. on January 5, 2024.
