Bountiful wins region opener, 66-52 0 MacKay leads Braves past Wildcats B " if " -V """ T I I Braves missed the mark 14 times. In the third quarter, the two rivals exchanged scores with each team holding leads no larger Uh an two points. However, the Braves scored last, on a basket by MacKay, to lead 39-38 entering the final quarter. Woods Cross remained in the game and trailed only by one at 50-49 50-49 before the Braves put the clamps on and took control. Following a pair of free throws by Shawn Kearns of the Wildcats, MacKay and his Bountiful teammates went on a 12-0 run to take a 62-49 advantage advan-tage with 45 seconds to play. The Braves dded four more down the stretch to add insult to injury. A three-pointer by Matt Cosper with 41 seconds remaining was the only Woods Cross score in the last 2:52 of the game. "The thing our guys did at the end was bear down on defense and then we rebounded," said Maxwell. "The difference was our defense really clamped down. I knew it would be a dogfight. Woods Cross stayed right with us." Despite the good showing, the Wildcats, fifth-place finishers at state a year ago, are still in search of their first win this season. "If we put together four quarters we'll be tough to beat," said Wilson. Bountiful and Woods f'Vos., will meet again on Jan. 3 1 . By DIRK FACKK Sports Editor BOUNTIFUL For three quarters Friday's region six opener ' between Bountiful and Woods Cross was close. But when crunch time arrived, the Braves' David MacKay literally stole the show. The senior eager had three steals and scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth period as Boun- Ctiful defeated the visiting Wildcats V.-52. r "Everything just went," said MacKay. "The shots were there 'and I was just fortunate to get them. ' O According to Woods Cross coach evin Wilson, MacKay was more than just fortunate in the end. "He geared it up a level and nobody stepped it up defensively," he said. "This is one we should have had if we had put together four quarters." The David MacKay Show, in which the Braves out scored the winless Wildcats 27-14, was preceded by what many expect in a rivalry game. Namely, a close, physical confrontation with win-loss win-loss records being tossed out the window. "It's Woods Cross-Bountiful. It's a rivalry and they are going to come out and play tough," said Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell. Friday. Jan. 3 WOODS X (0-1.0-7) 1313121452 BOUNTIFUL (1-0, 3-4) 14 13 12 2766 Wildcats: Coombs 1 0-0 3, Cosper 5 0-0 13. Morris 1 1-2 4, Brummett 3 0-4 6. Kilgore 2 0-2 4, Kearns 3 4-4 10, Smith 3 0-0 6, Malmrose 1 0-0 2, Evans 2 0-0 4, Totals 21 5-11 52. Braves: Jacobs 1 2-5 4, Jones 1 3-4 5, Mackay 9 4-8 23, Robbins 1 0-0 2, Beck 1 6-6 8, Harris 2 1-4 5. Jeppson 0 1-2 1. O'Brien 3 0-2 6, Adams 5 2-2 12, Totals 22 19-33 66. Three-point goals Woods Cross 5 (Cosper 3, Coombs, Morris), Bountiful 1 (Mackay). "Woods Cross played a very good ballgame. They made us earn the win." After trailing 14-10 near the end of the first quarter, the Cats put together a 16-4 run to take a 26-18 lead with 3:24 left in the half. Trevor Smith had six points in the stretch and Matt Evans added four. However, the Braves responded with a 9-0 run, paced by four points from Roger Adams, to close the half and enter the intermission with a 27-26 advantage. "This was the worst officiated game I've seen all year. It was terrible. We don't go to the line in the first half and they shoot 19," said Wilson. "It was ridiculous. I can't believe that a team can press and not foul. But, the problem was our inability to hit free throws when we got them." The Wildcats missed six free throws in the game, while the CROSSTOWN RIVALRY: Bountiful defenders David WiucKay and Jamie Jones (12) attempt to prevent a pass by Woods Cross senior Matt Cosper during Friday's region six tilt. The Braves blew past the 'Cats with a fourth-quarter surge. (Clipper photo by Roger Tutle)