Kearns and Granger are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. After both having extra time off, the two teams will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Kearns sitting on three straight wins and Granger on four.
Kearns is headed into the game having just posted their closest victory since November 26, 2024 last Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Juan Diego Catholic, sneaking past 40-37.
Kearns' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mina Kinikini, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards. Another player making a difference was Lia Benson, who posted seven points and three steals.
Kearns smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in ten consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Granger got the win against Logan back in December of 2024 by a conclusive 55-34.
Granger found their leader in sophomore Hoku Pili, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 18 rebounds. The matchup was Pili's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kato Makoni, who put up ten points and seven steals.
Granger has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 5-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.2 points per game. As for Kearns, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Kearns has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Granger struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Kearns against Granger in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 69-25 win. Will Kearns repeat their success, or does Granger have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
