Basketball Recap: Dakotah Cly's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Monument Valley over Rich

Monument Valley and Rich squared off in some playoff action on Thursday, but Monument Valley had to settle for second. They came up short against the Rich Rebels, falling 52-27. While losing is never fun, the Cougars can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Rebels are ranked 22nd).

Monument Valley's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dakotah Cly, who posted eight points. Another player making a difference was Taylor Stanley, who put up seven points.

Rich found their leader in sophomore Braylyn Pugmire, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds. Pugmire has been hot recently, having posted nine or more boards the last four times she's played. Kira Jolley was another key player, putting up ten points.

Cougars

Previous 5 Games

02/27/25 @ Rich	27-52
02/26/25 vs Piute	48-44
02/11/25 @ Monticello	68-20
02/07/25 vs Pinnacle	72-33
02/05/25 vs Whitehorse	31-51

The loss snapped Monument Valley's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 13-10 record. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.7 points over those games. As for Rich, the win was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 23-2.

Monument Valley wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 47-36 defeat against Whitehorse on the 28th. As for Rich, they have also already played their next match, a 53-46 victory against Wayne on the 28th.