The North Sanpete Hawks will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Grand County Red Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
North Sanpete unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They received a tough blow as they fell 56-39 to Canyon View. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points North Sanpete has scored all season.
The losing side was boosted by Cole Cook, who scored ten points. Another player making a difference was McKay Schlappi, who scored eight points.
Meanwhile, Grand County's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Saturday after their sixth straight loss. They were dealt a 84-57 loss at the hands of Panguitch. While losing is never fun, Grand County can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 119th, while Panguitch is ranked 26th).
Grand County's defeat came about despite a quality game from Jason Mckinney, who scored 18 points. The match was Mckinney's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Trace York was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
North Sanpete's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Grand County, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: North Sanpete have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 26.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Grand County struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 36 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
North Sanpete was able to grind out a solid win over Grand County in their previous meeting back in November, winning 59-50. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Grand County's Lane Berry, who scored 19 points. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will North Sanpete still be able to contain him? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
