The Lemoore Tigers were the 57-45 winner over the Hanford Bullpups when they last played one another back in February of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Lemoore fell just short of Hanford by a score of 53-51. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Lemoore came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 285th, while Hanford is ranked 635th).
Lemoore's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Andrew Mora, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 18 rebounds. Mora has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Kaden Lopes was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with two steals.
Lemoore's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-8. As for Hanford, their win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 9-13.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Lemoore will take on Tulare Union at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Tulare Union focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up nine on Wednesday. As for Hanford, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Dinuba at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Dinuba will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
