The James Valley Christian Vikings waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with three straight wins but they left with four. They strolled past Hitchcock-Tulare with points to spare, taking the game 63-44. Given James Valley Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' South Dakota basketball rankings (they are ranked 37th, while the Patriots are ranked 127th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
When it comes to explaining why Hitchcock-Tulare lost, one person who can't be blamed is Katelyn Schroeder. Despite the final result, she scored 17 points. Schroeder is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three games straight. Another player making a difference was Emmerie Arthurs, who scored eight points.
James Valley Christian has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. As for Hitchcock-Tulare, their defeat was their fourth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-12.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. James Valley Christian will take on the Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Hitchcock-Tulare, they will head out on the road to take on the Crusaders at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Sunshine Bible Academy is coming into the game on a six-game losing streak.
