Merry Acres, Lee East split in middle school matchup

ALBANY – The Merry Acres Braves and the Lee East Trojans each claimed a win Monday afternoon at Merry Acres. The Lady Trojans dominated the girls’ game 58-24, while the Braves edged out the Trojans 40-35 in the boys’ matchup.

The Lady Trojans (19-1) wasted no time asserting their dominance in the girls’ game. Moments after tipoff, Lee East implemented a relentless full-court press that generated quick points off turnovers. Merry Acres called an early timeout, trailing 12-3, but the Lady Braves continued to struggle against the press. Even after Lee East switched to a zone defense, their defensive intensity and ability to steal the ball allowed them to build a commanding 32-6 halftime lead.

Merry Acres had a brief moment of excitement late in the third quarter when Annabella Spooner hit a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 46-18. However, the Lady Trojans padded their lead in the final quarter to seal the win.

Kamari Franklin and Laila Patrick led Lee East with 15 points each, while Natalie Johnson added nine. Amarise Idlett was the top scorer for Merry Acres with eight points.

The boys’ game was much closer, with the Braves taking an early lead and holding off the Trojans for a 40-35 victory. Merry Acres led 17-13 at halftime, but Lee East tied the game 21-21 in the third quarter with a basket from Kam Franklin.

The Braves responded with a strong performance from Nehemiah Nance, who scored eight points in the third quarter, giving Merry Acres a 29-23 lead heading into the final period. Despite a fourth-quarter push from the Trojans, led by five points each from Franklin and Tyrell Plummer, Merry Acres held on for the win.

King Leverette led the Braves with nine points, while Nance scored eight, and Kyrein Davis contributed six. For Lee East, Franklin finished with 15 points, and Plummer added 10.