On Wednesday, Mercer Island escaped with a win against California by the margin of a single free throw, 48-47. Given Mercer Island's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 60th in Washington, while California is ranked 300th in California), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mercer Island's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ryan Boyle led the charge by scoring 12 points. Those 12 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Nick Mautone, who scored nine points.
Despite the loss, California still got an impressive performance from DANE WALLACE, who scored 21 points. The team also got some help courtesy of ARMAN MARTIN, who scored six points.
Mercer Island's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for California, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.
Mercer Island won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Calvary Chapel at 3:00 p.m. on December 28th. Calvary Chapel is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games. California will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against Live Oak at 10:30 a.m. on December 28th.
