Christendom’s men’s and women’s basketball teams jumped off to a hot start to begin the new year, with both teams winning three games each on the road. The men’s team is now riding a four-game winning streak, while the women’s team increased their season record to an impressive 13-1.
At the close of the fall semester, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams left themselves in a good position going into Christmas break, with the men’s team making it to a .500 record and the women’s team stretching their record to 10-1 on the season. Both teams wasted no time continuing their strong starts to the season, taking on Bucks County Community College on the road to start the second half of their season. The men’s team played hard, pulling off a 73-65 win. Peter Ethridge led the team with 20 points scored, while John Paul Vander Woude dropped 15 of his own in the victory.
The women’s basketball team, meanwhile, cruised to a 99-22 win over Bucks, with Mary Pennefather scoring an astounding 36 points and Catherine Thomas scoring 28 of her own.
The next day, both teams took on Central Penn. For the men’s team, it was their most head-to-head matchup yet, with both teams going back and forth the entirety of the game. Despite a late surge by Central Penn, Christendom managed to hold on 75-74 in a nailbiter. John Paul Vander Woude led the team with 21 points, with his brother, Bobby, right behind him with 20.
For the women’s team, Pennefather decided to outdo herself after the impressive 36-point game the day before. She dropped 48 points on Central Penn — only 11 points behind Central Penn’s entire team total for the game. Christendom won decisively 77-59, with all eyes on Pennefather going into the final road game of the opening stretch of the year.
Both teams took on Regent University on Monday night, with the men’s team again holding off a tough opponent. They ultimately won 80-76, increasing their win streak to 4 and their overall record to 7-4. Both Vander Woudes again led the team in scoring, with John Paul dropping 35 points and Bobby 21.
In the women’s game, Pennefather again dominated on the court, scoring 38 points on Regent. Right behind her was Thomas, who scored 33 points of her own, helping lead Christendom to a 98-59 victory — their thirteenth on the season.
For all her efforts over the past week, Pennefather earned Player of the Week honors from the USCAA, totaling 122 points, 32 rebounds, 19 assists, and 15 steals during her incredible start to the second half of the season.
For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.