The Merit Preparatory Academy Knights's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their fifth straight loss. They were outmatched by Milford at home and fell 89-52. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Merit Preparatory Academy in their matchups with Milford: they've now lost five in a row.
Merit Preparatory Academy's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ayden Martinez, who went 7 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 21 points and 1 assist. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Martinez has scored all season. Allan Mendonca was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with seven rebounds.
Merit Preparatory Academy struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Milford pulled down 15 offensive rebounds.
It was another big night for Sadler Barnes, who shot 10-for-17 from long range and almost dropped a triple-double on 50 points, nine assists, and 11 steals for Milford. Barnes hasn't dropped below two steals for six straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Kielen Tsosie, who scored 16 points along with nine rebounds and two steals.
Merit Preparatory Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 3-10. As for Milford, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Merit Preparatory Academy will take on Utah Military Academy - Camp Williams at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Utah (Utah Military Academy - Camp Williams is ranked 134th, while Merit Preparatory Academy is ranked 136th). Milford won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Valley at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th.
