After seven games on the road, Merritt Island is heading back home. They will be home for the holidays to greet the Port St. Lucie Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, it was close, but Merritt Island sidestepped West Shore for a 46-44 win. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Merritt Island has managed all season.
Merritt Island can attribute much of their success to Jayce Brandes, who scored 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals. The game was Brandes' third in a row with at least ten points. Braeden Rouleau was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Port St. Lucie had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.7 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They breezed by Lincoln Park Academy at home to the tune of 88-43. That 88-43 margin sets a new team best for Port St. Lucie this season.
Ryan Rodriguez was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 32 points and 11 rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which he has scored at least 25% of Port St. Lucie's points. Another player making a difference was Makhari Chambliss, who scored 22 points.
Merritt Island's win bumped their record up to 2-8. As for Port St. Lucie, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with that win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season.
Merritt Island came up short against Port St. Lucie in their previous matchup back in January, falling 68-55. Will Merritt Island have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
