Preview: Yavapai Seeks Season Split at Southern Nevada

HENDERSON, Nev. (Interstat) — The Southern Nevada Coyotes will host the Yavapai Roughriders in a men’s junior college basketball matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, with both teams looking to gain momentum in the season’s final stretch.

The game is a quick rematch, as the teams split their two previous meetings this season. On Jan. 14, Southern Nevada (7-11) defended its home court with an 80-64 victory. Just over two weeks later on Jan. 31, Yavapai (5-13) evened the series with a 70-59 home win.

Yavapai enters on a two-game skid, including a 79-60 home loss to Cochise on Feb. 11. In that contest, forward Jason Parent led the way with 23 points and nine rebounds. Parent has been a consistent performer for the Roughriders, averaging a double-double of 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds over his last seven games. His 15-rebound effort was pivotal in Yavapai’s win over Southern Nevada last month.

The Coyotes have also struggled recently, losing three of their last four. They are coming off a narrow 77-73 home loss to Cochise on Feb. 13, despite 18 points and seven rebounds from guard Demarion Yap. Yap has been a key facilitator, averaging 4.3 assists over his last six outings, though he was held to just four points in the Jan. 31 loss at Yavapai.

Both teams have found wins hard to come by in conference play, making this a critical game for postseason positioning. Southern Nevada will aim to leverage its home-court advantage, where it previously handled Yavapai convincingly. The Roughriders will rely on Parent’s interior presence and seek a repeat of their defensive performance from the last matchup, where they held the Coyotes to 59 points.

Following this game, Southern Nevada travels to face Arizona Western on Feb. 21, while Yavapai visits Central Arizona on the same date.