Granger hasn't had much luck against Cyprus recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Granger Lancers will face off against the Cyprus Pirates at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Granger is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their eighth straight game on Tuesday. They took a 72-62 hit to the loss column at the hands of West Jordan.
| 01/14/25 @ West Jordan | 3 |
| 12/06/24 vs Providence Hall | 2 |
| 11/20/24 @ Hillcrest | 2 |
| 12/18/23 @ Morgan | 2 |
| 12/05/23 @ Summit Academy | 2 |
Despite the loss, Granger got top-tier performance from Mason Biddulph, who went 8 of 15 en route to 22 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. Those three steals gave Biddulph a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Gukeisen, who posted five points along with six assists and six boards.
Even though they lost, Granger was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Cyprus also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to Juan Diego Catholic by a score of 49-36. The game marked the Pirates' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Granger will have to keep a close watch on Beckham Bayles and Paden Sharp, a pair of players who had a big impact on Cyprus' prior game. Bayles went 6 for 15 on his way to 12 points in addition to six assists and six rebounds, while Sharp had 11 points. Kayson Mayo also deserves some recognition as he grabbed his first steal of the season.
Granger's defeat dropped their record down to 1-12. As for Cyprus, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 8-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Granger has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 25.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cyprus struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Granger lost to Cyprus on the road by a decisive 82-64 margin when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Can Granger avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
