Hunter and Kearns are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The Hunter Wolverines will be playing at home against the Kearns Cougars at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Hunter is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering West Jordan just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They received a blow as they fell 58-41 to the Jaguars.
| 01/21/25 @ West Jordan | 4 |
| 01/17/25 @ Granger | 7 |
| 01/14/25 vs Cyprus | 9 |
| 01/10/25 vs Taylorsville | 6 |
| 01/03/25 vs Tooele | 5 |
Hunter's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Mamakoula Tuitupou-Kutu, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 boards, and Grace Gallagher, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 15 rebounds. Gallagher has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 30 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kiana Pauni, who posted no points in addition to nine boards and six assists.
Even though they lost, Hunter smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Kearns sidestepped Cyprus for a 34-31 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted against the Pirates since February 11, 2021.
Hunter better focus on containing Lindsey Tafili and Marie Angilau-Lea as the pair were huge in Kearns' win. Tafili had nine points, while Angilau-Lea almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. Leila Fowler was another key player, putting up seven points along with five boards and three steals.
Hunter's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 6-11. As for Kearns, their victory bumped their record up to 7-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hunter has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Kearns struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hunter came up short against Kearns when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 64-57. Will Hunter have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
