OCR Text |
Show A12 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 Sentinel Guardian of Your Community News Skyhawks edge Dons, 63 Marshall Dunn STAFF WRITER The men's basketball game between Spanish Fork and Salem Hills was a game to remember, as these two rivals went at it Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 in Salem. The game featured stellar play from both teams, but in the end Salem was able to outlast Spanish Fork down the stretch and came out with the 63-60 win. The win was huge for the Skyhawks, who were desperate for some sort of success heading into region play. "We needed some momentum, you know? We had a tough preseason and,we needed this momentum going in to try and go undefeated," said Jake Skinner. Salem benefited from dominant play by both London Simonson and Skinner, who led all scorers with 19 and 18 points respectively. Spanish Fork was led in scoring by Ren Williamson and Travis Still, who scored 11 and 10 points respectively. Gavin Hales of Spanish Fork led all players with three three-pointers. Thefirstquarter was a back-and-forth battle between both schools, but Salem was able come out on top 17-14. The second quarter was a defensive struggle; as neither team was able assert themselves offensively. Salem was able to assert themselves on the offensive glass, however, as they were able to come away with plenty of secondchance opportunities. At the end of the first half, Salem was up by five with a 28-23 lead. Coming out of halftime, both teams exploded offensively, with London Simonson dominating the quarter for the Skyhawks, and Gavin Hales keeping Spanish Fork close with clutch threepointers. Spanish Fork continued being plagued by offensive rebounds as the Dons were unable to box out the determined Skyhawks. The third quarter ended with Salem leading 48-42. The fourth quarter started out with both team's main players fouling out when Travis Still London Simonson fouled out within a minute of each other. Spanish Fork attempted a comeback and was able to pull within one, but Salem was able to hit their free throws down the stretch to maintain the lead and come away with the 63-60 victory. "It felt great. Everyone was going hard; it was a scrappy game by both teams and Kate Jar man / The Sentinel it was great to come out on top, especially in a close game like this," said Skinner. CONTESTED: Salem's Jake Skinner battles a Spanish Fork player for a rebound in the close contest between two local teams. Golden Eagle hoopsters fall to Payson Lions Jeril Bills STAFF WRITER The Maple Mountain boys basketball team experienced a tough loss at Payson on Friday, going down 62-36 against the Lions, who improved to 9-4 with the win, the best record in Region 8. With the loss, Maple Mountain fell to 2-11. Four Payson players scored in double figures in the rout. Meanwhile, KJ Hall led Maple Mountain in scoring with eight points. Close behind was Connor Murphy, who had seven. The game got away from Maple Mountain early on. After both teams started out a bit rusty, Payson energized the crowd with six quick points on three consecutive possessions. Meanwhile, the Lions overwhelmed the Golden Eagles on defense, using full-court press and doubleteam pressure to frustrate Maple Mountain players and create opportunities for steals. Payson stole the ball numerous times throughout the contest, and especially in the first quarter, which ended with the Lions leading 19-6. "For us, [it's] been kind of the same old thing with that first quarter,'* said Maple Mountain head coach Johnny Averett after the game. "We tend to dig ourselves [into] a big hole, and we did the same thing again tonight. And we're, as a coaching staff, trying our best to find a remedy for that. We just come out flat — we don't hit shots, we make turnovers, we're not into the game defensively, and [it] seems like every game we wait until the second quarter before we realize that there's a ballgame going on and we need to be here." Perhaps the most impressive stretch for Maple Mountain came at the end of the first half, when, down 34-12, KJ Hall hit a three-pointer, then another Golden Eagle player made a steal on Payson's inbound pass, allowing Cameron Starr the chance to score two more points inside to make it 34-17. But that 5-0 run was about the most effective continuous effort the Golden Eagles produced. Maple Mountain tried the full-court press with some success, though it often backfired, allowing Payson some wide-open, easy baskets on the other end. For most of the rest of the game, it was a bucket or a steal here and there for Maple Mountain, followed by more frustration offensively, if not defensively as well. The Golden Eagles struggled to make shots, never really catching fire, and Payson dominated the boards, further preventing opportunities for Maple Mountain. Kaleb Davis / The Sentinel This week, Maple Mountain faces Uintah at home SOFT TOUCH: Maple Mountain's Connor Murphy takes the ball to the hoop against a Payson defender. on Friday. |