Basketball Recap: Utah Military Academy - Hill Field Falls Despite Big Games from Ryan Wankier and Quinlan Ekberg

After flying high against Telos last Wednesday, Utah Military Academy - Hill Field came back down to earth. The Utah Military Academy - Hill Field Thunderbirds fell to the Merit Preparatory Academy Knights 43-39. The Thunderbirds were probably out for revenge after losing 73-53 to them when the teams met back in February of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Utah Military Academy - Hill Field's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Quinlan Ekberg, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 27 rebounds, and Ryan Wankier, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 13 boards. Ekberg is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games he's played.

Thunderbirds

Offensive Rebounds

01/14/25 vs Merit Preparatory Academy	29
01/08/25 vs Telos	27
01/07/25 vs Intermountain Christian	13

Even though they lost, Utah Military Academy - Hill Field smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 29 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

It was another big night for Michigan Draper, who posted 12 points along with seven steals and six assists for Merit Preparatory Academy. Ayden Martinez was another key player, putting up 14 points and five boards.

Utah Military Academy - Hill Field has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-9 record this season. As for Merit Preparatory Academy, the victory was the seventh in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-4.

Utah Military Academy - Hill Field didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 71-52 win against Vanguard Academy on the 15th. As for Merit Preparatory Academy, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 74-29 victory against Freedom Prep Academy on the 17th.