The Box Elder Bears and the Dodson Coyotes will face off at 6:00 p.m. on February 9th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 58-31, which was the final score in Box Elder's tilt against the Hawks on Saturday. While losing is never fun, Box Elder can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Montana basketball rankings (they are ranked 91st, while the Hawks are ranked 16th).
Despite their loss, Box Elder saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ariel Gopher, who scored 14 points, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Martay Stiffarm-rosette, who scored five points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Dodson and the Bearcubs squared off in some playoff action on Saturday, but sadly the Coyotes had to settle for second. They were dealt a 76-40 loss at the hands of the Bearcubs. Dodson has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Box Elder has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-10 record this season. As for Dodson, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
Box Elder came up short against the Coyotes in their previous matchup back in December of 2019, falling 49-41. Can Box Elder avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
