The Mount Vernon Patriots and the Salt Lake Academy Griffins will face off at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday without much rest having both just played.
Mount Vernon is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Green River on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Mount Vernon took a blow against Green River, falling 72-30. The Patriots were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 46-8.
Despite their loss, Mount Vernon saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Andre Hernandez, who posted ten points, was perhaps the best of all. Robert Wharton was another key player, putting up six points.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Salt Lake Academy). They claimed a resounding 75-42 win over Dugway.
Mount Vernon better keep an eye on Braylon Brock. He was instrumental in Salt Lake Academy's win, dropping a double-double on 32 points and 16 rebounds. Those 32 points gave Brock a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Elijah Johnson, who went 6 of 14 on his way to 14 points and six assists.
Salt Lake Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
The victory got Salt Lake Academy back to even at 2-2. As for Mount Vernon, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 1-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mount Vernon has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 22.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Salt Lake Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mount Vernon took a serious blow against Salt Lake Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2020, falling 92-44. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Mount Vernon was down 36-16.
