MRH, Brentwood Set to Renew Hoops Rivalry

The Brentwood boys varsity basketball team has no chance at the South Central A.A. Conference championship this season. However, that does not mean that the Eagles will not be fired up to try and spoil the conference title hopes of Maplewood Richmond Heights.

This rivalry will add its latest installment at MRH on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

MRH won a crucial league game last Friday at Bayless, 62-41. The Blue Devils (10-10) are now 6-0 in league play, but will meet Bayless (6-1) one more time on Feb. 22. Regardless, one thing is clear: if MRH wins the rest of its conference games, they will repeat as undefeated league champion for an incredible fourth straight season.

MRH head coach Corey Frazier has endured an extremely difficult nonconference schedule, but as he has indicated to Patch numerous times this season, this is very intentional. It is how he is preparing his team for postseason play.

Senior guard Tony King leads MRH and is averaging 16.3 points and 2.8 steals per game. Junior guard Jake Hensel is averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 assists and 4.5 steals per game. The Blue Devils play a fast and furious style, and this overwhelmed Brentwood in MRH’s 71-34 win on Jan. 25. The Eagles had 25 turnovers in that game.

Brentwood (7-9, 3-4) relies heavily on senior guard Andrew Erby and senior center Amadou Cisse. Erby averages a team-best 14.6 points per game while Cisse is averaging 10.8 points, 10 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

One day after the boys’ rivalry game, the MRH and Brentwood girls will meet at Brentwood at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The game will not influence the South Central A.A. Conference race, but intensity is never short in this rivalry.

MRH (6-14) is 4-3 in league play and will be fresh off of five days’ rest entering this matchup. The Blue Devils dropped a tough 49-47 game to St. Elizabeth Academy last Friday. The MRH girls have a limited roster, and two players dominate the ball. Senior guard Destaney Williams and junior guard Antonia Lee score over 60 percent of the team’s points.

Lee averages 13.7 points per game and Williams averages 11.6 points.

For the Eagles (5-13), they will be looking to improve on their 1-5 league mark. Brentwood has been plagued by a sluggish offense all season, and average just 33 points per game. The Eagles have been held under 20 points three times this season. However, they have won two of their past four outings after a 44-39 win over Northwest Academy (2-10) last Thursday.

Junior Sammi Merlotti scored 17 points in that victory, though she shot just 8-for-27. Merlotti accounts for more than one-third of the Eagles’ points, and is averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She also has a team-leading 31 steals.

Sophomore Meredith McGrath has begun to emerge for coach Scott Long. McGrath is averaging 6.5 points and a robust 13.1 rebounds per contest.