Basketball Recap: Melbourne Central Catholic Beats Merritt Island Christian for Their Third Straight Victory

Melbourne Central Catholic waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They managed a 44-40 victory over the Merritt Island Christian Cougars. The 44-point effort marked the Hustlers' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Melbourne Central Catholic found their leader in sophomore Grady Bonenberger, who went 6 of 10 en route to 14 points along with six steals and five boards. Those six steals set a new season-high mark for Bonenberger. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Hamilton, who posted ten points and seven assists.

Merritt Island Christian's loss came despite strong showings from Trey Nevad and Connor Angstadt. Nevad dropped a double-double on 14 points and 19 boards, while Angstadt went 5 of 10 on his way to 14 points. Nevad is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last six games he's played.

Melbourne Central Catholic's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-1. As for Merritt Island Christian, they now have a losing record at 5-6.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Melbourne Central Catholic will welcome Pineapple Cove Classical Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Melbourne Central Catholic is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.1 points per game this season. As for Merritt Island Christian, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Calvary Chapel Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Merritt Island Christian is facing Calvary Chapel Academy at the right time seeing as Calvary Chapel Academy is stuck on a five-game losing streak.