Basketball Recap: Bella Vista Falls Despite Big Games from Mitchel Emory and Mark Otrotsyuk

Bella Vista was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 66-56 defeat to the Antelope Titans. While losing is never fun, the Broncos can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 728th, while the Titans are ranked 135th).

Despite the loss, Bella Vista had strong showings from Mark Otrotsyuk, who posted 13 points and three steals, and Mitchel Emory, who earned nine points and five steals. Another player making a difference was Cael Bird, who had six points and seven rebounds.

Broncos

Previous 3 Games

01/03/25 vs Antelope	56-66
12/28/24 vs Bear Creek	52-74
12/27/24 vs Roseville	67-69

Even though they lost, Bella Vista smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive games.

Antelope's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Malichai Brown, who went 6 of 11 on his way to 16 points and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jah'Morris Shakur, who put up 11 points along with six assists and three steals.

Bella Vista's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Antelope, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season.

Bella Vista will host Ponderosa at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Antelope, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 74-54 loss against Franklin on the 4th.