Basketball Preview: Monarch Coyotes vs. Prairie View Thunderhawks
Monarch is 3-0 against the Thunderhawks since November of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Having just played yesterday, the Monarch Coyotes will get right back to it and host the Prairie View Thunderhawks at 6:30 p.m. on February 6th. The timing is sure in Monarch's favor as the squad sits on ten straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while the Thunderhawks have been banged up by nine consecutive losses on the road.
On Monday, Monarch's game was all tied up 27-27 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They came out on top against Rocky Mountain by a score of 56-47. Given Monarch's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Lobos are ranked 88th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Monarch got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Van Nellessen out in front who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Carlson, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Prairie View struggled with assists on Saturday (the Eagles had 16 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Prairie View had to suffer through a rough 83-36 loss at the hands of the Eagles. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Prairie View in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost four in a row.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Javon Brewton, who scored 13 points along with three steals. He hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Andrew Holman was another key contributor, scoring two points along with three steals.
Monarch is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. As for Prairie View, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-15.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Monarch have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 44.3% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Prairie View struggles in that department as they've made 37.5% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Monarch strolled past the Thunderhawks in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a score of 69-51. Does Monarch have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Thunderhawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
