Basketball Game Preview: Morning Star Academy Mustangs vs. West Branch Bears

The Morning Star Academy Mustangs just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the West Branch Bears at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Morning Star Academy will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.

If Morning Star Academy beats West Branch with 46 points on Tuesday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Morning Star Academy put the hurt on Quad Cities Christian with a sharp 46-21 win on Monday. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 25 points or more this season.

Morning Star Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Violet Jewell, who posted six points in addition to 11 boards and five blocks. What's more, Jewell also racked up four assists, the most she's had since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Abigail Smith, who went 5 for 10 on her way to 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.

Morning Star Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in eight consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for West Branch, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They snuck past Lisbon with a 51-46 win on Thursday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bears as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.

Morning Star Academy is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 20.6 points per game. As for West Branch, their win ended a ten-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-12.