Intermountain Christian is 0-4 against Merit Preparatory Academy since January of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Intermountain Christian Lions will be playing in front of their home fans against the Merit Preparatory Academy Knights at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Intermountain Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. They fell to Utah Military Academy - Camp Williams 53-47.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Noah Hillaker, who shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 38.3% of Intermountain Christian's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Keaton Okino, who scored 15 points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Merit Preparatory Academy suffered their biggest loss since November 29, 2023 on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a rough 84-52 loss at the hands of American Prep WV. Merit Preparatory Academy has not had much luck with American Prep WV recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Merit Preparatory Academy saw an underclassman step up: Miles Petersen scored 19 points. Petersen has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times he's played. Allan Mendonca was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Intermountain Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 3-9. As for Merit Preparatory Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-12 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Intermountain Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Merit Preparatory Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Intermountain Christian lost to Merit Preparatory Academy at home by a decisive 70-52 margin in their previous meeting back in February of 2017. Will Intermountain Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
