Preview: Orlando Science Orcas vs. Merritt Island Christian Cougars
The Orlando Science Orcas will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the Merritt Island Christian Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on December 21st. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 75-40, which was the final score in Orlando Science's tilt against Lake Mary Prep on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, Orlando Science can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 714th, while Lake Mary Prep is ranked 335th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Aarish Ali, who scored 16 points. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Glen Wickersham, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Merritt Island Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Geneva by a score of 61-59. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Merritt Island Christian's loss came about despite a quality game from Trey Nevad, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 16 rebounds. The match was Nevad's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Carter Stevenson was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with three steals.
Even though they lost, Merritt Island Christian were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Orlando Science's record now sits at 4-6. As for Merritt Island Christian, they have fallen quite a ways from their 17-8 record last season and are now at 1-5.
Thursday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Orlando Science have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 22 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Merritt Island Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 33.7 rebounds per game. Given Orlando Science's sizeable advantage in that area, Merritt Island Christian will need to find a way to close that gap. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
