A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Teays Valley Christian Lions take on the Pipestem Christian Academy Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday... Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Teays Valley Christian fought the good fight in their overtime game against Calvary Baptist Academy on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 61-59. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Lions have suffered since November 12, 2024.
Despite their defeat, Teays Valley Christian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Eli Pendleton, who posted 20 points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Starcher, who earned 17 points.
Meanwhile, Pipestem Christian Academy scored the most points they've had this season two weeks ago, but it wasn't enough. They fell 85-78 to Grace Christian. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game back in December of 2024 (63), the Panthers still had to take the loss.
Teays Valley Christian will have to contain Enoch Gonderman as he made an impact in Pipestem Christian Academy's last game. He dropped a double-double on 39 points and 11 rebounds. Gonderman's afternoon made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Silas Mattox, who went 6 of 9 from beyond the arc on his way to 22 points and six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Pipestem Christian Academy 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 eight offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.
Teays Valley Christian has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-6 record this season. As for Pipestem Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Teays Valley Christian hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 66.9 points per game. However, it's not like Pipestem Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 58.6 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Everything came up roses for Teays Valley Christian against Pipestem Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2015, as the team secured a 79-49 win. Does Teays Valley Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Pipestem Christian Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
