Basketball Recap: Illiana Christian Comes Up Short

If Illiana Christian was feeling good fresh off their 43-20 takedown of Bowman Academy back in December of 2024, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Illiana Christian Vikings fell just short of the Chicago Christian Knights by a score of 34-32 on Tuesday. The Vikings were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Knights apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in November of 2022.

When it comes to explaining why Illiana Christian lost, don't look at Ella Olthof. Despite the final result, she almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 boards. With that strong performance, Olthof is now averaging an impressive 2.2 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Abbie Ritzema, who posted 11 points and five assists.

Among those leading the charge was Imani Frazier, who earned 21 points along with eight steals and six boards. Those 21 points gave her a new career-high.

Illiana Christian now has a losing record at 6-7. As for Chicago Christian, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a massive bump to their 7-9 record this season.

Illiana Christian will head out to take on Whiting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Chicago Christian, they will host Walther Christian Academy at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.