On Monday, Mercer Island was able to grind out a solid win over Jackson, taking the game 61-52.
Mercer Island was led to victory by Tristen Cruzen and Will Mcdonald. Cruzen scored 19 points, while Mcdonald scored 20 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Cruzen has scored all season.
When it comes to explaining why Jackson lost, one person who can't be blamed is Ryan Mcferran. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 18 points and 16 rebounds. Mcferran has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Trey Hawkins, who scored 12 points along with six assists.
Mercer Island's win bumped their record up to 9-5. As for Jackson, their loss dropped their record down to 11-4.
Mercer Island won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Hazen at 7:15 p.m. on January 16th. Hazen will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Washington Rankings (they are ranked 212th, while Mercer Island is ranked 64th). As for Jackson, they will head out on the road to take on Mariner at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. The timing isn't great for Mariner: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Jackson has snatched up 11 consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
