Basketball Recap: McCluer South-Berkeley Comes Up Short

McCluer South-Berkeley won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Saturday. They were outmatched by McKinley Classical Leadership Academy and fell 93-49. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Bulldogs of the 80-40 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2019.

McCluer South-Berkeley's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dylan Merkle, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. Merkle has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last four times he's played. Kaneal Simpson was another key player, putting up eight points.

Even though they lost, McCluer South-Berkeley 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 four consecutive games.

McCluer South-Berkeley's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for McKinley Classical Leadership Academy, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.

McCluer South-Berkeley wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 41-31 loss against KIPP on the 28th. As for McKinley Classical Leadership Academy, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Meridian at 5:00 p.m. on January 17, 2025.