Basketball Game Preview: Mid-Pacific Institute Owls vs. Punahou Buff n' Blue

Mid-Pacific Institute is 0-10 against Punahou since January of 2018 but things could change on Saturday. The Mid-Pacific Institute Owls will look to defend their home court against the Punahou Buff n' Blue at 4:00 p.m. Mid-Pacific Institute is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.9 points per game this season.

Last Monday, Mid-Pacific Institute had to suffer through a 73-46 loss at the hands of Oak Ridge. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Owls came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked tenth in Hawaii, while the Trojans are ranked 63rd in California).

Mid-Pacific Institute's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Riley Miura, who went 7 of 12 on his way to 21 points, and Darius Chizer, who posted 14 points. That's the most points Miura has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Mason, who put up seven points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Punahou entered their tilt with Gig Harbor on Monday with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. They managed a 52-47 victory over the Tides. The 52-point effort marked the Buff n' Blue's lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Punahou's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. As for Mid-Pacific Institute, their loss dropped their record down to 13-7.

Mid-Pacific Institute came up short against Punahou in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 63-53. Can Mid-Pacific Institute avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.