Basketball Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Academy at the Lakes Wildcats

The Hernando Leopards will square off against the Academy at the Lakes Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hernando has three straight victories, Academy at the Lakes has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Hernando is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. Couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up 2024 than the 77-33 stomp they got against Spring Hill Christian Academy. The Leopards have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matchups by 25 points or more this season.

Hernando's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Daniel Merizalde, who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine assists. Merizalde has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Blake Williams, who went 6 for 10 on his way to 14 points.

Merizalde wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Hernando was working as a unit and finished the game with 29 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Academy at the Lakes played a tough game on Saturday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 63-36 loss at the hands of Shorecrest Prep. The Wildcats were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 34-12.

Hernando is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.3 points per game. As for Academy at the Lakes, their loss dropped their record down to 3-7.

Hernando took their victory against Academy at the Lakes in their previous matchup last Friday by a conclusive 65-40. Will Hernando repeat their success, or does Academy at the Lakes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.