Busy week for Buckaroo basketball teams

In a matchup, on January 11, the Monticello Buckaroos hosted the Pinnacle Panthers in a region doubleheader.
The Lady Bucks earned their first victory of the year over the Panthers in convincing fashion. After building a 9-7 lead after one quarter, the Lady Bucks exploded in the second quarter giving them a 25-11 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Bucks won the third quarter for a 34-18 lead after three before closing out the game for a 47-20 win.
Coach Marcia Shumway said the win meant a lot to the girls, adding, “We’ve worked hard all year and it was really good for those girls.”
Shumway was also pleased to have most of her players back after a lot of the roster has dealt with injuries and sickness.
The Lady Bucks were led in scoring by Avery Shumway who had 16 points on the game. Ciara McCarthy added seven while Kylie Rogers finished with six points.

In the boys game, the Bucks fell just short against the Pinnacle Panthers.

Monticello had a 9-7 lead after one quarter, but the Panthers took the lead at half, 14-11.

After three, the Panthers held on to a 27-25 lead before closing out for a 38-36 victory.

Monticello had three opportunities to take the lead late, including a shot on the last possession of the game. 

The inbound pass saw Boston Freestone putting up a three-point shot that was blocked. A follow-up shot that would have won the game went in, but it didn’t count as it was released after the final buzzer.

Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Josh Keyes said the team played pretty poorly offensively, noting that the team didn’t execute while Pinnacle ran a great defensive game plan against the Bucks.

“What I learned from my kids is that they’ll fight,” said Keyes. “But we have to be better offensively – coaches, players, on down.”

The Bucks were led in scoring on the game by Boston Freestone, who finished with 13, while Easton Young added 12.

The Bucks welcomed the Whitehorse Raiders on January 14 for a region doubleheader.

The Raiders girls won the early game, while the Buckaroo boys team won the later game.

In the girls game, the Lady Raiders took a 13-12 lead after one quarter, extending their lead to seven with a 24-17 halftime score.

The third quarter also favored the Raiders 41-29, with a final score of 55-41.

The Raiders were led by Kailee Tohonnie who finished with 17, while Heidi Thomas scored 13 and McKeeda Sam added ten.

For the Lady Bucks, Kenlee Atwood scored 16 points while Kylie Rogers added eight and Avery Shumway scored six.

In the boys game, the Monticello Bucks got the win over the Whitehorse Raiders in a game told in two halves. 

The Raiders jumped out to a 14-9 lead after one quarter and extended the lead to 31-21 at halftime. 

The Bucks had a great second half, winning the third quarter by 14 points to take a 41-37 lead going into the final quarter, where the Bucks won the fourth quarter by ten points for a 59-45 final.

Monticello was led by Boston Freestone who scored 26, while Easton Young added 14, all coming in the second half. Landon Ewart finished the game with six.

The Raiders were led by Tyrell Benally who finished with 15 points, while Nicolas Howell contributed 13 and Brett James added 11, including three triples.