Basketball Recap: El Dorado Takes a Loss

El Dorado lost against Union Mine back in December of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. The El Dorado Cougars came up short against the Union Mine Diamondbacks, falling 87-67.

Despite the loss, El Dorado still got an impressive performance from Ryan McCarty, who went 7 for 12 from beyond the arc on his way to 25 points. Those 25 points gave McCarty a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Logan Baker, who posted 12 points and eight boards.

Even though they lost, El Dorado smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.

Matt Manfredi was his usual excellent self, shooting 5-for-7 from long range and almost dropping a triple-double on 30 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists for Union Mine. Manfredi is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in the last five games he's played. Jeremiah Otte was another key player, going 7 of 11 en route to 20 points.

El Dorado has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 11 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-12 record this season. As for Union Mine, the victory was the seventh in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 9-12.

El Dorado didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, an 81-58 win against Galt on the 27th. As for Union Mine, they will face off against Liberty Ranch at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Union Mine knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past ten matchups -- so hopefully Liberty Ranch likes a good challenge.