Manzanola is 0-4 against Kim/Branson since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Manzanola Bobcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Kim/Branson Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. Manzanola comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
Last Friday, Manzanola was beaten by Walsh 58-16. Manzanola was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 32-7.
Canye Trujillo put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored six points along with five rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Jullian Chavez, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Kim/Branson scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They put the hurt on La Veta with a sharp 68-46 victory. The win was just what Kim/Branson needed coming off of a 61-41 defeat in their prior match.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Kim/Branson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kolter Cranson, who scored 21 points along with six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Cranson has scored all season. Brock Doherty was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with seven rebounds and five steals.
Manzanola's loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 0-5. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 22.7 points per game. As for Kim/Branson, their victory bumped their record up to 2-6.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Manzanola have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Kim/Branson, though, as they've been averaging only 23.8 rebounds per game. Given Manzanola's sizeable advantage in that area, Kim/Branson will need to find a way to close that gap.
Manzanola ended up a good deal behind Kim/Branson in their previous matchup back in January of 2022, losing 52-34. Can Manzanola avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
