Vandals qualify for State but eliminated by Spring Mountain

The Eureka County High School boys basketball team’s season came to an end in the NIAA 1A State Quarterfinals after a 59-52 loss to Spring Mountain at Spanish Springs on Thursday, Feb. 19. The Vandals qualified for State despite dropping its first game against a league opponent this season in the regional championship against Owyhee, 58-41, on Saturday, Feb. 14. A 68-39 rout of Wells a day prior assured a spot in the state tournament, but the loss to the Braves assured they’d play a one seed in round one.

“The games this last weekend were like night and day. We played great versus Wells – 25 assists – and then obviously not that great versus Owyhee – eight assists, 26 turnovers,” ECHS head coach Fred Minoletti informed. “It wasn’t really anything Owyhee did differently, it was just one of those games that you would like to forget. For whatever reason, we didn’t take care of the ball well and shot poorly even around the hoop and in the painted area – only 35%.”

Minoletti knew Spring Mountain would be a tough matchup, citing the Eagles’ good guard play and height inside. He knew his Vandals would have to play better offensively than they did in the regional championship, but the boys fell a bit short of their 56-points-per-game season average. 

The Vandals lose three seniors, including one of their top scorers, Joseph Minoletti. Juniors Dean Benson and Legend Hicks should be back for their senior seasons after proving their scoring prowess this year. Three other juniors will help lead what will still be an experienced team next season.