The Mardela Warriors will face off against the Washington Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mardela is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 59.3 points per game this season.
Last Tuesday, Mardela was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 51-45 to Bennett.
Jo'Ziah Sherwood
| 02/18/25 vs Bennett | 18 |
| 02/13/25 vs St. Michaels | 24 |
| 02/10/25 @ Wicomico | 17 |
Mardela's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jo'Ziah Sherwood, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 25 boards, and Darion Collins, who to rack up 18 points and seven steals. Sherwood's big performance that evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 17 points.
Even though they lost, Mardela smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Washington fought the good fight in their overtime game against Crisfield on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took an 83-79 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Crabbers. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game last Tuesday (70), the Jaguars still had to take the loss.
Mardela will have to keep a close watch on Elijah Thomas and Nasear Bailey, a pair of players who had a big impact on Washington's prior game. Thomas dropped a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Bailey shot 5-for-7 from long range and dropped a double-double with 22 points and 12 boards. What's more, Thomas posted five assists, the most he's had since back in February of 2024. Jakai Jones was another key player, putting up five points.
Washington has traveled a rocky road recently having lost 11 of their last 12 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-19 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.1 points over those games. Mardela's defeat dropped their record down to 14-8.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Mardela has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.2% of their three-pointers per game. However, it's not like Washington struggles in that department as they've made 42.7% of their three-pointers this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went Mardela's way against Washington in their previous matchup back in January, as Mardela made off with a 70-50 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Thomas, who had 25 points and six rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Mardela still be able to contain Thomas? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
