The Miami Country Day Spartans just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Somerset Academy Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Thursday, Miami Country Day was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 78-73 to Saint Andrew's. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Miami Country Day in their matchups with Saint Andrew's: they've now lost four in a row.
Miami Country Day's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Herbert Wilson, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and ten rebounds, and Miguel Orbe who scored 22 points along with five rebounds. That was a full 38.4% of Miami Country Day's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Ashton Reid was another key contributor, scoring five points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Somerset Academy waltzed into their game on Wednesday with four straight wins but they left with five. They secured a 66-62 W over Piper. Given Somerset Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 73rd, while Piper is ranked 467th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Anthony Henderson was his usual excellent self, scoring 19 points along with nine assists and five rebounds. That's the first time this season that he posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Jahlon Blain, who scored 14 points along with five steals.
Miami Country Day's loss dropped their record down to 12-10. As for Somerset Academy, their win was their 12th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-4.
Friday's contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Miami Country Day have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Somerset Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Miami Country Day beat Somerset Academy 84-75 when the teams last played back in December of 2022. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Somerset Academy's Jamai Tejada, who scored 30 points. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Miami Country Day to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
