Standouts: New Smyrna Beach at Deltona
Deltona earned its first victory in Class 7A-District 5 in a 62-53 win over district rival New Smyrna Beach on Wednesday night.
Seniors Jalen Monroe and Angel Mercado each had 15 points for the Wolves (4-2, 1-2) while senior Nick Heard led all scorers with 21 points for New Smyrna Beach (3-2, 2-2).
Here are the top standouts from the matchup.
Angel Mercado (Deltona)
Senior point guard Angel Mercado turned out a fine performance for Deltona with a team-high 15 points. He scored six points in the first half. Mercado was aggressive to the rack and made a point of getting points for the Wolves in every quarter of play.
Nick Heard (New Smyrna Beach)
Heard finished as the top scorer on the night with 21 points. The Embry Riddle commit recorded one 3-pointer in every quarter. The senior is a gifted ballhandler and his ability to strike from outside really helps pace his offense.
Jalen Monroe (Deltona)
Monroe was the best player on the break for Deltona with his pure speed. He tied Mercado with 15 points, showing off his jumper and passing often. Monroe is a gifted athlete who will continue to perform for Deltona as the Wolves let him loose.
Tyrese Seals/Kai Roche (New Smyrna Beach)
Seals and Roche showed up in important moments for the Barracudas. Roche scored all eight of his points in the first half including six in the opening quarter. Seals ended the game with 14 points including nine in the fourth quarter. The two upperclassmen bigs have potential to score more.
Evan Busby/Marlon Bradley (Deltona)
Busby and Bradley are core junior starters who play well off one another. Busby paced the Deltona offense with 13 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter, six at the free throw line late. Bradley had only eight points, but he did enough on the glass and defensively to make up for his lack of production.