Monarch sees their postseason come to a close

By Team Reports Feb 26, 2024, 8:09am

Recap: Monarch Coyotes vs. Mountain Vista Golden Eagles

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact the Monarch Coyotes can now relate to. They took a 75-67 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Golden Eagles on Saturday. Monarch's defeat signaled the end of their nine-game winning streak.

Several Coyotes players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Van Nellessen, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. Nellessen is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted three or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Graham Johnson, who scored 15 points along with three steals.

Monarch struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Mountain Vista racked up 18 assists.

Mountain Vista's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Cal Baskind led the charge by scoring 19 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Baskind is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last 18 games he's played. Jacob Hoefs was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with six assists and two blocks.

Monarch's defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 19-6. As for Mountain Vista, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season.

Monarch does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Mountain Vista, they will square off against Smoky Hill at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. Mountain Vista knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 14 contests -- so hopefully Smoky Hill likes a good challenge.

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