Mitchell Christian has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Sunshine Bible Academy Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Sunshine Bible Academy took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Mitchell Christian, who comes in off a win.
Last Thursday, Mitchell Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over the Rutland, taking the game 58-45. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Mitchell Christian has managed all season.
It was another big night for Aiden Lieber, who dropped a double-double on 38 points and 13 rebounds. That makes it 14 consecutive games in which he has scored at least a third of Mitchell Christian's points.
Meanwhile, Sunshine Bible Academy came up short against the Patriots on Friday and fell 61-49. Sunshine Bible Academy has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite their defeat, Sunshine Bible Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Trey Thieman, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Thieman has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Owan Watson, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Sunshine Bible Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Mitchell Christian's win ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-11. As for Sunshine Bible Academy, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 3-11.
Monday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Mitchell Christian haven't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 3.3 turnovers per game. It's a different story for Sunshine Bible Academy, though, as they've been averaging 21 turnovers per game. Given Mitchell Christian's sizable advantage in that area, the Crusaders will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Mitchell Christian against the Crusaders when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 54-26 win. With Mitchell Christian ahead 29-8 at the half, the match was all but over already.
