Hernando hadn't done well against Central recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Hernando Leopards secured a 53-49 W over the Central Bears. For the Leopards, this counts as revenge for the 82-67 victory the Bears walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February.
Hernando's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Daniel Merizalde led the charge by putting up eight points in addition to five assists and five steals. Merizalde is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Blake Williams, who almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine boards.
Leopards
| 12/10/24 @ Central | 53-49 |
| 12/09/24 vs Angeline Academy of Innovation | 68-38 |
Hernando smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive contests.
Despite the loss, Central had strong showings from Braydon Prospero, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 18 points and three steals, and Xavior Haegele, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 16 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. That was a full 36.7% of Central's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Alejandro Canales, who had four points.
Hernando's record is now 6-2. As for Central, they now have a losing record at 3-4.
Hernando didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 70-45 win against Weeki Wachee on the 17th. As for Central, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 54-34 defeat against Springstead on the 13th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
