Basketball Game Preview: Mid-Pacific Institute Owls vs. Hanalani Royals

Mid-Pacific Institute and Hanalani are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2016, but not for long. The Mid-Pacific Institute Owls are taking a road trip to face off against the Hanalani Royals at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.

Last Saturday, Mid-Pacific Institute was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 48-43 to Damien. The loss continues a trend for the Owls in their matchups with the Monarchs: they've now lost six in a row.

Meanwhile, Hanalani waltzed into their match on Monday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They walked away with a 50-41 victory over the Pumas. Given the Royals' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked fifth in Hawaii, while the Pumas are ranked 254th in California), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Hanalani's win came from a few key players Mid-Pacific Institute will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ellana Klemp, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 11 boards. The game was her fourth in a row with at least ten points. Jayda Okuhara was another key player, putting up 11 points and six rebounds.

Hanalani's record now sits at 14-4. As for Mid-Pacific Institute, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-9.

Mid-Pacific Institute suffered a grim 39-17 defeat to Hanalani in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Can Mid-Pacific Institute avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.