Basketball Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes

Two dominant guards in Daniel Merizalde and Jacob Mekdeci are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hernando Leopards will be taking part in a tournament against the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Hernando got the win against Academy at the Lakes by a conclusive 65-40.

Merizalde was his usual excellent self, going 8 of 12 on his way to 20 points and seven rebounds. His evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sam Jackson, who posted eight points along with nine boards and five assists.

Hernando smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic entered their tilt with Seven Rivers Christian on Friday with eight consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with nine. They secured a 59-54 W over the Warriors. Given the Hurricanes' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 224th, while the Warriors are ranked 644th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. As for Hernando, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.

Hernando didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic in their previous meeting back in January of 2022, but they still walked away with a 48-43 win. Does Hernando have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bishop McLaughlin Catholic turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.