Wasatch Roundballers Stay Hot

Girls and boys teams both win at Uintah

BY KENNY BRISTOW

There was no letdown for Wasp basketball on Tuesday night, as both the girls and boys varsity teams traveled to Uintah and took care of business.  The girls won their game 56-41 and the boys came out on top 53-39.

After last Friday night’s emotional home victories over rival Park City, the Wasp teams could have been ripe for being upset on the road, but the coaching staffs for both squads did a good job of keeping their teams focused on the task at hand.  That task of course was to continue playing great fundamental basketball and keeping themselves in position for deep playoff runs when the post season begins in two weeks.

In the girls game, it was a consistent offensive output of double-figure point totals that decided the pace of the game.  After a fast start for both sides, resulting in a 19-17 Ute advantage after the first quarter, the Wasp defense stepped it up a notch and shut down Uintah the rest of the way.  Uintah managed only 22 points total in the remaining three quarters.

Once again it was senior guard Rebecca MaWhinney leading the way for the Lady Wasps with a season-high 25 points.  The future UVU Wolverine also contributed eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.  Junior Heather Evans had a big game for Wasatch chipping in 14 points and six rebounds and senior Renee Fagg remained a consistent force with seven points, eight boards and a couple of assists.

The ladies kept their firm grip on the conference lead, tied with Juan Diego after the victory.  The Dons come to Heber City on Friday night in what could to be the winner take all game for Region 10.

In the nightcap, the boys won their third straight region game, a season high for them.  They used a 19-point outpouring in the second quarter to pull away from the Utes who never factored after that.  The Wasps were up to their usual tricks of spreading the ball around as seven players contributed to the score sheet.  Jackson Gordon led the way with 10 points followed by Cooper Ballstaedt who had nine.  Senior Chris Johnson, and juniors Jeff Murdock and Ben Pelo added six points apiece.

The win gave Wasatch a 4-3 conference record tying them for third with Park City.  With three games remaining on the schedule – all region contests – the Wasps are in position to hang on to that third place.  After letting so many victories slip through their fingers this campaign, the Wasps seem to have figured out a way to manage their games.  Since the start of the new calendar year, Wasatch is 5-3.  One of those losses was by one point and the other by two points.  It has been an amazing turnaround for a team that could have quit long ago.