Basketball Game Preview: Inglemoor Vikings vs. Mercer Island Islanders

Two dominant forwards in Reuhen Bhalod and William McDonald are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Inglemoor Vikings will challenge the Mercer Island Islanders at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Inglemoor is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 67.6 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, Inglemoor was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 58-54 to Liberty.

Reuhen Bhalod

Rebounds

02/11/25 @ Liberty	20
02/08/25 @ Sammamish	15
02/07/25 vs Highline	18
01/31/25 @ Evergreen	20
01/28/25 @ Interlake	16
+ 36 more games

Defeat or not, Inglemoor got some senior leadership from Aman Sterling and Bhalod. Sterling went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc to rack up 26 points, while Bhalod dropped a double-double with 16 points and 20 boards. Bhalod is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 41 games he's played dating back to last season. Gabe Schutt was another key player, putting up nine points.

Even though they lost, Inglemoor smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Mercer Island lost to Bellevue on the road by a 65-47 margin on Tuesday. The Islanders have struggled against the Wolverines recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.

Inglemoor's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 13-9. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 84.3 points over those games. As for Mercer Island, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-11.

Inglemoor came up short against Mercer Island in their previous matchup back in December of 2021, falling 62-50. Can Inglemoor avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.