Wasps End Skid

Wasatch continues to improve with solid efforts

and wins 53-39 at Skyline.

Say what you will about their record, but the Wasatch high school boy’s basketball team is playing much better than their 2-8 overall preseason record indicates.  Despite a recent five game losing streak, with two of those games going to the final shot and a third going to double overtime, the Wasps have not dropped their heads and given up.  They continue to play gritty team basketball and are showing signs in the recent weeks of getting more wins, instead of heartbreaking losses, out of these hard fought games.

It also doesn’t hurt when a few of your role players are beginning to find their rhythm.  That’s what’s happening with players like juniors Casey Peterson and Ben Pelo along with sophmore Nate Dow who are joining leaders Cooper Ballstaedt, Chris Johnson, Jake Larson, Jackson Gordon and Jeff Murdock in the individual stat lines.  Ballstaedt continues to lead the Wasps in scoring average with 8.40 and has knocked down a sharp 16 three-point shots.  Johnson is amongst the top rebounders in 3A with 49 and is carrying a 7.50 scoring average.  Murdock, the Wasp’s point guard, is playing his position well, contributing consistently in points, assists and steals.  Gordon is becoming a regular in the double-digit scoring line recently as well.  A lot of the pieces are coming together and Wasatch is getting warm just before the start of the regular season.

Last night against Skyline, Wasatch avoided the slumps that have seen them hot one quarter of a game and completely cold the next.  Those up and down performances have plagued them all year so far, killing rallies, losing leads and even costing them a game or two.  But on this night they remained consistent throughout.

Wasatch took the early lead on the Eagles and held onto it into the second period.  But they let Skyline chip their advantage away and tie them up at 25 apiece at the break.  The Wasps came out for the second half on fire, like they have in recent games, and put up 14 points to Skyline’s two.  The Eagles tried to fight their way back into the game, but the Wasps stayed relentless and held on for the much needed victory.

The black and gold return home Thursday night to take on the visiting Orem Tigers.  Orem is 3-1 and coming off a huge victory against Dixie, but the Wasps continue to carry a lot of confidence and it’s showing in their efforts.  It needs to continue showing up in the win column as well.