Telos and Merit Preparatory Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. Telos will venture away from home to take on the Merit Preparatory Academy Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Telos has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with nine straight defeats, while Merit Preparatory Academy will come in with five straight victories.
Telos is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Utah Military Academy - Hill Field on Wednesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Telos had to suffer through a 68-30 loss at the hands of Utah Military Academy - Hill Field. Telos was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 45-13.
Despite their loss, Telos saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Noah Haugen, who posted six points, was perhaps the best of all. Kemari McCauley was another key player, putting up eight points.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Merit Preparatory Academy against Salt Lake Academy on Tuesday as the team secured a 71-44 win. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 27 points or more this season.
Telos better keep an eye on Michigan Draper. He was instrumental in Merit Preparatory Academy's win, going 6 of 12 on his way to 13 points along with seven assists and seven steals. Draper has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 12 times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cruz Steinman, who put up 14 points and six boards.
Merit Preparatory Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive matches.
Merit Preparatory Academy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 78.7 points per game. As for Telos, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.
Telos took a serious blow against Merit Preparatory Academy in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 82-20. Can Telos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
