Basketball Recap: Merritt Island Christian Falls Despite Big Games from Connor Angstadt and Trey Nevad

Merritt Island Christian lost against Melbourne Central Catholic back in December of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The Merritt Island Christian Cougars took a 44-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers.

Trey Nevad and Connor Angstadt certainly did their best on Tuesday to avoid the loss. Nevad dropped a double-double on 14 points and 19 rebounds, while Angstadt went 5 of 10 on his way to 14 points. Nevad has been hot, having posted nine or more rebounds the last six times he's played.

Even though they lost, Merritt Island Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.

It was another big night for Grady Bonenberger, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 14 points along with six steals and five boards for Melbourne Central Catholic. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Hamilton, who posted ten points and seven assists.

Merritt Island Christian now has a losing record at 5-6. As for Melbourne Central Catholic, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Merritt Island Christian will square off against Calvary Chapel Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Merritt Island Christian is facing Calvary Chapel Academy at the right time seeing as Calvary Chapel Academy is stuck on a five-game losing streak. As for Melbourne Central Catholic, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Pineapple Cove Classical Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Melbourne Central Catholic is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.1 points per game this season.