Basketball Game Preview: Monticello Buckaroo vs. Monument Valley Cougars

Monticello is on a four-game streak of home losses, Monument Valley a 15-game streak of away losses dating back to last season, but someone's luck will change on Tuesday. The Monticello Buckaroo will host the Monument Valley Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Monticello is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against San Juan on Wednesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Monticello came up short against San Juan, falling 68-44. The Buckaroo were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-17.

Kaden Pehrson

Rebounds

01/10/25 vs Pinnacle	16
01/24/25 @ Whitehorse	13
12/20/24 @ Dove Creek	13
01/07/25 vs Dolores	12
12/05/24 vs West Grand	12
+ 14 more games

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Kaden Pehrson, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. He has become a key player for Monticello: the team is 8-3 when he posts at least eight rebounds, but 3-5 otherwise. Kooper Nielson was another key player, putting up five points and six assists.

Even though they lost, Monticello smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 64 points the game before, Monument Valley was a bit more limited in their contest on Saturday. They were outmatched by Green River and fell 101-20. The Cougars were down 80-14 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Monument Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 2-18. As for Monticello, their loss dropped their record down to 11-8.

Everything came up roses for Monticello against Monument Valley in their previous matchup back in January, as the team secured a 71-25 win. In that match, Monticello amassed a halftime lead of 43-8, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.