Basketball Game Preview: Maeser Prep Academy Lions vs. Waterford Ravens

The Maeser Prep Academy Lions will take on the Waterford Ravens at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Friday, Maeser Prep Academy didn't have quite enough to beat Tintic and fell 40-37. While the Lions didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Miners 14-9 in the first quarter.

Despite the loss, Maeser Prep Academy saw an underclassman step up: freshman Lillian Nolan went 7 for 17 en route to 21 points in addition to seven boards and six steals. That's the most points Nolan has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Klea Bokshi, who posted seven points.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Waterford). They simply couldn't be stopped on Thursday as they easily beat Wasatch Academy 70-9. With the Ravens ahead 40-2 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.

Maeser Prep Academy better keep an eye on Anne Howard. She was instrumental in Waterford's win, going 8 of 13 on her way to 18 points and three steals. Howard is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. Lexee Hasebi was another key player, putting up ten points and six steals.

Waterford was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Waterford pushed their record up to 7-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 21.5 points per game. As for Maeser Prep Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season.

Maeser Prep Academy came up short against Waterford when the teams last played back in January, falling 36-30. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Howard, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds. Now that Maeser Prep Academy knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.