Calvary Temple will be taking part in a tournament against the HEARTS for Jesus Christ Guardians at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with six losses in a row dating back to last season, Calvary Temple turned things around against Bloomingdale on Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 50-34 victory over the Blazers. The win was all the more spectacular given Calvary Temple's disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 411th in Virginia, while Bloomingdale is ranked 105th in West Virginia).
Meanwhile, HEARTS for Jesus Christ had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.3 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They took down Tournament Team 51-35.
Calvary Temple better focus on containing Josh Aten and Josh Elsesser as the pair were huge in HEARTS for Jesus Christ's win. Aten shot 45% from the field to rack up 26 points and six rebounds, while Elsesser posted 11 points in addition to seven boards and five steals. What's more, Elsesser also posted a 60% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Tanner Sweene, who put up seven points and five steals.
HEARTS for Jesus Christ smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Calvary Temple's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-5. As for HEARTS for Jesus Christ, their record now sits at 21-6.
Calvary Temple lost to HEARTS for Jesus Christ on the road by a decisive 41-27 margin in their previous matchup back in March of 2019. Can Calvary Temple avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
