On Friday night, the Pinnacle Panther boys basketball team kicked off the region schedule against the visiting Monticello Buckaroo. The game started out very quietly, but by the end, Monticello had earned a 10-point win, 32-22.

Pinnacle sits at 7-5 overall, with a 0-1 record in region play. They also sit at No. 12 in the most recent rankings from MaxPreps and the Utah High School Activities Association. Now that they have entered the region portion of their schedule, they’re just eight games away from the playoffs, which start in the middle of February.

The contest on Friday night with the Buckaroo started out very, very quietly, with both teams trying to feel each other out in the first quarter. By the end of the period, Monticello had taken a small 7-5 lead. As the two teams moved into the second quarter, Monticello took a bit of an edge, as Pinnacle could score just four points in the quarter, and Monticello added 11, taking an 18-9 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.

In the second half, starting in the third quarter, Pinnacle found a little more offense than Monticello, holding the Buckaroo to just two points and adding five; however, Monticello still led heading into the final eight minutes, 20-14. In the final quarter, Monticello turned their offense back on, scoring 12 points against the Panthers while holding Pinnacle to eight, taking the lead and winning 32-22.

Brody Howell led the Panthers with eight points, and Diego Contreras had six. Dominick Vigil and Bryson Shumway each added three, with Santiago Alamillo adding two in the loss.

The Panthers will be on the road Tuesday when they visit the Vanguard Academy Knights in a non-region tilt. They will be back home on Thursday to face Monument Valley.

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.