Preview: College Prep of America Thunder vs. MCC Crescents
The College Prep of America Thunder will be playing at home against the MCC Crescents at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
College Prep of America scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Islamic Foundation 91-37 on the road. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win College Prep of America has managed all season.
College Prep of America relied on the efforts of Ibrahim Elagha, who scored 29 points along with seven steals and five assists, and Hamzah Shouman, who scored 26 points along with eight assists and eight rebounds. Shouman has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last 11 times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Hasan Hasan, who scored nine points along with nine rebounds and five steals.
Meanwhile, MCC can now show off nine landslide victories after their most recent match on January 8th. They breezed by Hinsdale Adventist Academy on the road to the tune of 88-19. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win MCC has posted since December 4, 2023.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead MCC to victory, but perhaps none more so than Youssef Hassab, who dropped a triple-double on 21 points, ten rebounds, and ten steals. Hassab also posted eight assists for the first time this season. Eman Hodzic was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds.
College Prep of America's win bumped their record up to 8-12. As for MCC, they pushed their record up to 11-6 with that win, which was their eighth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: College Prep of America have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like MCC struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
College Prep of America took a serious blow against MCC in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 75-37. Can College Prep of America avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
