Hillcrest is 1-9 against Kearns since February of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Hillcrest Huskies will look to defend their home court against the Kearns Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Kearns took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Hillcrest, who comes in off a win.
Last Thursday, Hillcrest earned a 55-45 win over Summit Academy. That's two games straight that Hillcrest has won by exactly ten points.
Hillcrest's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Zach Tanner, who scored 20 points along with 7 rebounds. That makes it two consecutive games in which Tanner has scored at least 25% of Hillcrest's points. Rhett Robinson was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with 4 steals.
Meanwhile, Kearns' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. Their tough 61-39 loss to Skyline might stick with them for a while. While losing is never fun, Kearns can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 89th, while Skyline is ranked 30th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ivan Kaufusi, who scored 9 points along with 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Mauricio Lemus, who scored 12 points.
Kearns struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Skyline racked up 12.
Hillcrest's victory bumped their season record to 3-1 while Summit Academy's defeat dropped theirs to 2-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hillcrest have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Kearns struggles in that department as they've been averaging 18.3 per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Hillcrest came up short against Kearns in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, falling 67-62. Will Hillcrest have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
