High school boys basketball: 3A/2A first round recap

3A Playoffs

Delta 60, Providence Hall 56

In a closely contested match, the No. 17 Delta Rabbits (7-16) edged out the No. 16 Providence Hall Patriots (7-16) with a score of 60-56 in the first round of the 3A state championship tournament. Marcus Chase was the game’s top scorer with 18 points for the Rabbits, with Cai Henderson contributing 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Similarly, for the Patriots, Ty Warnick and Evan Fraser shared team-high honors with 11 points each, Fraser also adding two 3-pointers to his performance. Despite the Patriots’ more assertive play in the second half, the Rabbits managed to hold their lead to secure the win.

Summit Academy 97, Ben Lomond 80

The No. 15 Summit Academy Bears (11-14) came out on top in a first-round barnburner against the No. 18 Ben Lomond Scots (5-18) with a final score of 97-80 to get to the second round of the 3A state championship tournament. At the forefront for the Bears was Colbyn Draper, who scored an impressive 27 points, including making two 3-pointers. Lance Green and Stewart Woodward also had substantial contributions, with 21 and 20 points respectively. Hunter Christensen of the Scots was the highest scorer for his team, collecting 24 points with a 3-pointer included. Despite a strong fourth quarter from the Scots, the Bears secured their win through consistently high scoring in all quarters.

2A Playoffs

Grand 95, Utah Military Hillfield 19

The No. 8 Grand Red Devils (14-10) thoroughly outclassed the No. 25 Utah Military-Hillfield Thunderbirds (1-12) in a decisive game, triumphing with a final score of 95-19. The Red Devils dominated throughout the game, with Jason McKinney topping the scoresheet with 20 points, including two 3-pointers. Kalan Bowden and Lane Berry were also key contributors to the victory, scoring 16 and 13 points respectively. On the Thunderbirds’ end, Sky Amboy was the most prominent player with 9 points, two of which were 3-pointers, followed closely by Lloyd Andersen with 7 points. Unfortunately, the Thunderbirds could not mount a significant challenge despite these individual performances, resulting in the Red Devils’ overwhelming victory.

Parowan 63, Maeser Prep 53

The No. 15 Parowan Rams (7-15) clinched a victory against the No. 18 Maeser Prep Lions (11-13) with a final score of 63-53. The Rams’ duo of Trevor Robison and Hunter Bettridge led the offense, each contributing 22 points. Daniel Bernhardi also added 12 points, including two 3-pointers. For the Lions, Kale Garner put up 17 points, supported by Riley George with 14, making three 3-pointers. Despite the Lions’ increased scoring in the fourth quarter, the Rams held onto their lead, ensuring a home court win.

Merit Academy 72, Utah Military Camp Williams 62

The No. 19 Merit Academy Knights (8-14) staged an impressive comeback to secure an upset victory over the No. 14 Utah Military-Camp Williams Marauders (10-8) with a final score of 72-62. After trailing in points after the third quarter, the Knights surged ahead with an astonishing 34 points scored in the final quarter, propelling them ahead of the Marauders. This late momentum change proved crucial for the Knights and ultimately led to their ten-point victory.

Duchesne 66, Freedom Prep Academy 26

The No. 7 Duchesne Eagles (14-9) convincingly won their basketball game against the No. 26 Freedom Prep Academy Eagles (3-16), ending with a final score of 66-26. For Duchesne, Kyson Giles led the scoring with 14 points, contributing two 3-pointers. Parker Crum put up a notable 11 points, with three of those coming from beyond the arc. On the side of Freedom Prep Academy, Ezra C. led the team’s scoring efforts with 13 points, making one 3-pointer. Despite these individual performances, Freedom Prep Academy was unable to overcome the significant scoring gap built by Duchesne in the first half, resulting in Duchesne’s dominant win.

Beaver 59, Draper APA 52

The No. 11 Beaver Beavers (10-11) emerged victorious in an overtime showdown against the No. 22 Draper APA Eagles (5-16), with a final score of 59-52 in the first round of the 2A state championship tournament. The Beavers showcased a balanced scoring effort led by Taiven Gillins with 16 points, which included four 3-pointers. Other significant contributors were Baylor Blackburn and Deegan Blackner, scoring 13 and 12 points respectively. On the Eagles’ side, Urban Baldwin stood out with 15 points, including a 3-pointer, while Jones Strong and Lucian Greenwell each added 12 points. Despite the Eagles’ strong performance in the third quarter, the Beavers managed to push the game into overtime and secured their win with a 7-point advantage.

American Leadership 77, St. Joseph 49

The No. 10 American Leadership Eagles (14-10) soared to victory over the No. 23 St. Joseph Jayhawks (2-15) with a substantial score of 77-49. For the Eagles, Jaxon Hunter had an outstanding performance, scoring 20 points, which included six 3-pointers. Grant Jackson, with 18 points and Kannon Huntsman with 16 points, also substantially contributed to the win. On the Jayhawks’ side, Gavin Wolf and Gavin Donovan had stellar performances with 22 and 17 points respectively. Despite these individual achievements, the Jayhawks were unable to close the consistent scoring gap initiated by the Eagles in the first half, resulting in the Eagles maintaining their lead through to the end.

Waterford 59, Water Canyon 55

The No. 16 Waterford Ravens (9-11) narrowly secured victory over the No. 17 Water Canyon Wildcats (4-11), ending the game with a tight score of 59-55. The Ravens were steered to victory by Carter Nielson, who dominated the court with 21 points, including 6 three-pointers. Preston Jenkins was another significant contributor, scoring 19 points. Representing the Wildcats, David Barlow was the highest scorer with 18 points, while Aaron Barlow bagged 16 points, two of which came from beyond the arc. Even with the Wildcats’ strong scoring in the final quarter, Waterford managed to maintain its lead, enabling the Ravens to clinch the win.

Rowland Hall 65, Millard 44

The No. 9 Rowland Hall Winged Lions (12-11) secured a decisive victory against the No. 24 Millard Eagles (0-24), culminating in a 65-44 score. Landen Brady was the star for the Winged Lions, scoring a game-high 24 points. Yeshi Tsering and Ian Mellor also provided substantive support with 10 and 9 points respectively, both players also making 3-pointers. On the Eagles’ side, Noah Rowell was the most prolific scorer, accounting for 13 points, including a 3-pointer, closely followed by Treyden Terry with 12 points. Even though the Millard Eagles showed consistent scoring across the quarters, the Winged Lions’ strong performance in the first and third quarters paved the way for their clear win.

North Sevier 57, Gunnison Valley 45

The No. 20 North Sevier Wolves (4-18) secured a win against the No. 13 Gunnison Valley Bulldogs (10-12) with a final score of 57-45 and became the only team in the state so far seeded 20th or lower in a tournament to advance to the second round. Efrain Bernardino led the Wolves, delivering 19 points, including four from long range. Jacob Johnson and Kade Johnson also pitched in with 16 and 10 points respectively. For the Bulldogs, Landry Edwards played a commendable game, scoring 14 points and making one 3-pointer. Tyson Tucker was close behind with 13 points. Despite their efforts, the Bulldogs couldn’t overtake the Wolves who surged ahead in the third quarter, resulting in the Wolves’ victory.

San Juan 82, Intermountain Christian 39

The No. 12 San Juan Broncos (10-14) strongly defeated the No. 21 Intermountain Christian Lions (3-14), finishing with a notable score of 82-39. The Broncos were led by Anthony Done, who contributed a notable 21 points to the team’s total score, followed by Tripp Palmer and Jake Ivins with 18 and 15 points respectively. Representing the Lions, Noah Hillaker had the highest score with 13 points, including making three 3-pointers. Jackson Smith and David Reist also pitched in with 6 points each. Even with these efforts, the Lions couldn’t match up to the Broncos’ commanding performance, resulting in the Broncos’ considerable win.

This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.