Basketball Game Preview: Tohatchi Cougars vs. Grants Pirates

Tohatchi hasn't had much luck against Grants recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cougars will be taking part in a tournament against the Pirates at 2:30 p.m. Tohatchi has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Tohatchi is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past Aztec to the tune of 82-47 on Friday. The Cougars have beaten the Tigers the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Tigers has come to flipping the script.

Tohatchi's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Myka Candeleria led the charge by dropping a double-double with 26 points and 12 boards. Deandre Rios was another key player, dropping a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists.

Tohatchi was working as a unit and finished the game with 29 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Grants suffered their biggest loss since February 11, 2025 on Tuesday. They took a blow against Farmington, falling 71-38. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Pirates' biggest loss of the season was also their lowest-scoring.

Tohatchi's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Grants, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.

Tohatchi didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Grants in their previous meeting back in January of 2025, but they still walked away with a 69-64 win. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.