Basketball Recap: Fruita Monument Falls Despite Big Games from Hailee Wagner and Peyton Willford

Fruita Monument was the 50-49 winner over Vista PEAK Prep when they last played one another back in January of 2020, but their luck changed this time around. The Fruita Monument Wildcats fell 61-50 to the Vista PEAK Prep Bison on Friday. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Fruita Monument's loss came despite strong showings from Peyton Willford and Hailee Wagner. Willford posted 11 points and eight rebounds, while Wagner had ten points and eight rebounds. Those 11 points gave Willford a new career-high.

Even though they lost, Fruita Monument smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.

Vista PEAK Prep's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Knakai Starks led the charge by putting up 18 points. Starks is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 17 or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jade Hibbler, who went 7 of 12 on her way to 15 points and six assists.

Fruita Monument's loss dropped their record down to 6-4. As for Vista PEAK Prep, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-4.

Fruita Monument didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 53-44 win against Eaglecrest on the 4th. As for Vista PEAK Prep, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, an 84-38 defeat against Cherokee Trail on the 7th.