USUE Press Release
Utah State Eastern men’s basketball defeated the Snow College Badgers 80-74 on Saturday in Ephraim. The Eagles closed out their regular season with the victory and will be the third seed headed into this week’s tournament.
“The win was very good for our us and also it was good to close the regular season well with two consecutive wins. It was also good for us to get revenge on them for beating us earlier in the season when we played in Ephraim,” said USU Eastern forward Rafael Monteiro.
USU Eastern head coach Vando Becheli also said it felt good to get a win on Snow’s home floor to help build confidence.
“It was nice to beat the home team on their home floor and it is the place where the tournament will be held; we definitely built confidence with that win,” said Becheli.
The Eagles started out hot in the first half with a 9-0 start in the first five minutes. Snow came roaring back in the next three minutes to tie it at 14.
Sophomores Landon Swartz and Kristupas Totoris along with Monteiro combined to score 23 first half points to give the Eagles a 34-28 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Eagles had to play with two starters, Milan Surlic and Sam Velez, sitting most of the half with foul trouble. Sophomore guard Jeffery Yan and sophomore forward Nico Rojas picked up the slack for the Eagles coming off the bench to help maintain a steady lead.
“The guys who came off the bench stepped up and played good for us. Jeff did good when Milan was on the bench and he can run the team as well as Milan. Nico filled in well for Sam and contributed for us,” said Becheli.
Another big reason for the Eagles’ win on Saturday was the performance of Monteiro, especially in the second half. Monteiro scored 24 points and grabbed three rebounds in the second half. He would finish the game with a team-high 31 points with six rebounds.
“He was huge for us because he is so versatile for us. He can shoot the three and he can post up. When you watch the game, you’re not thinking he will score that many points but at the end of the game you see the stats and you think ‘Wow. He scored that many?’,” said Becheli.
Monteiro has quietly been the Eagles’ leading scorer this season and, in Saturday’s game, he said that it his scoring performance had to do more with his teammates helping him.
“I made the most of every move, so I was able to take advantage of Snow’s breakdowns on defense and with the help of my teammates I was able to score very effectively,” said Monteiro.
The Eagles will now be focused on the College of Southern Idaho, who they play on Friday afternoon in Ephraim.
“We know that they are a very good team and they give us more trouble than any other team in our conference. It is one game in one night. If we put in a very good game then we can do it but it won’t be easy,” said Becheli.
Friday’s game is schedule to tip off at 2 p.m. with the winner advancing to the Region XVIII Championship game on Saturday night.
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