Basketball Game Preview: Hanalani Royals vs. Maria Carrillo Pumas

The Hanalani Royals and the Maria Carrillo Pumas will round out the year against one another at at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Hanalani is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.

Hanalani's tournament run continued when they took on Carlsbad on Saturday. Hanalani ended the year with a bang, routing Carlsbad 56-36. The Royals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 20 points or more this season.

Ellana Klemp was her usual excellent self, almost dropping a double-double on 19 points and nine boards. Her afternoon made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Piha Akiona, who posted seven points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals.

Hanalani smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in nine consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Maria Carrillo was able to grind out a solid victory over Monte Vista on Saturday, taking the game 57-44. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Pumas.

Maria Carrillo has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 6-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.5 points per game. As for Hanalani, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.