Basketball Recap: Emma Kate O'neill's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Merrol Hyde Magnet over Valor College Prep

Merrol Hyde Magnet lost against Valor College Prep back in December of 2024, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Thursday. The Merrol Hyde Magnet Hawks came up short against the Valor College Prep Wildcats, falling 67-47. While losing is never fun, the Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 301st, while the Wildcats are ranked 134th).

Several Hawks players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Emma Kate O'Neill, who posted 14 points. Melania Couret was another key player, putting up 13 points.

Valor College Prep's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from London Cotton, who went 7-for-10 to rack up 20 points. Another player making a difference was Tamiya McClain, who went 6-for-15 en route to 15 points and five steals.

Merrol Hyde Magnet dropped their record down to 8-15 with the loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for Valor College Prep, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-2 record this season.

Merrol Hyde Magnet didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 64-45 victory against Jo Byrns on the 14th. As for Valor College Prep, they have also already played their next contest, a 73-32 win against Maplewood on the 14th.