Tampa Prep has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Tampa Prep is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Hurricanes in Florida (the Terrapins are ranked 101st, while the Hurricanes are ranked 646th).
Last Friday, Tampa Prep suffered a tough 73-50 loss at the hands of the Buccaneers. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Tampa Prep in their matchups with the Buccaneers: they've now lost seven in a row.
Meanwhile, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic waltzed into their contest on Thursday with two straight wins but they left with three. They secured a 50-45 W over Seven Rivers Christian.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jake Mekdeci led the charge by dropping a double-double on ten points and 12 rebounds. Mekdeci hasn't dropped below two steals for five straight games. Wilner Rene was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with eight rebounds.
Tampa Prep's loss ended a 27-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 22-3. As for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-11.
Everything went Tampa Prep's way against the Hurricanes in their previous matchup back in January as the Terrapins made off with a 58-37 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tampa Prep since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
