Mercyhurst Prep is 9-1 against Iroquois since February of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Mercyhurst Prep Lakers will head out on the road to take on the Iroquois Braves at 7:30 p.m. Mercyhurst Prep knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five games -- so hopefully Iroquois likes a good challenge.
You can't lose the matchup if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Mercyhurst Prep's strategy against Erie First Christian Academy on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Mercyhurst Prep blew Erie First Christian Academy out of the water with a 76-42 final score. Mercyhurst Prep pushed the score to 65-34 by the end of the third, a deficit Erie First Christian Academy had no chance of recovering from.
Mercyhurst Prep's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tanner Ashton, who scored 13 points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Derek Bly, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Iroquois came up short against North East on Tuesday and fell 56-43. Iroquois has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Orlando Brown, who scored 15 points along with four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Devin Brink, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds.
Mercyhurst Prep has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a massive bump to their 11-7 record this season. As for Iroquois, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-9.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Mercyhurst Prep have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Iroquois struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mercyhurst Prep and Iroquois were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in January, but Mercyhurst Prep came up empty-handed after a 53-52 loss. Can Mercyhurst Prep avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
