Granada hasn't had much luck against McClave recently, but that could start to change on Friday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Granada Bobcats face off against the McClave Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Granada is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games.
While Granada didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They enjoyed a cozy 53-34 victory over Kit Carson on Friday.
Granada's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Angelo Martinez led the charge by going 5 of 7 en route to 14 points along with seven boards and three steals. Martinez is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for five straight games. Another player making a difference was Maddox Coleman, who went 7 for 8 on his way to 18 points.
Meanwhile, after a string of nine wins, McClave's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They took a 67-59 hit to the loss column at the hands of Stratton.
Despite the defeat, McClave saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Tuff Kelley dropped a double-double on 28 points and 18 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Kelley has scored all season. Jr. Mungaray was another key player, putting up six points in addition to nine boards and three steals.
Even though they lost, McClave 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 12 consecutive games.
Granada's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points per game. As for McClave, their loss ended a seven-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 10-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Granada has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like McClave struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Granada ended up a good deal behind McClave in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, losing 54-35. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kelley, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Now that Granada knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
