Stansbury girls fall to Cedar at Cancer Classic ♦
After the holiday break, along with a long bus trip to southern Utah, it would have been understandable for the girls basketball teams from Grantsville, Tooele and Stansbury high schools to look a little bit sluggish on Monday in their first games of the annual Steve Hodson Cancer Classic.
Instead, the Cowboys, Buffaloes and Stallions all had standout performances, with Grantsville and Tooele coming away with wins. Stansbury lost its game on Monday, but saw some positive signs, as well.
Grantsville 57, Canyon View 35
Emily Backus knocked down five 3-pointers as part of a 26-point effort as Grantsville routed tournament co-host Canyon View on Monday in Cedar City.
Stansbury junior drains four 3s in fourth-quarter surge ♦
The Stansbury girls basketball team isn’t off to the start it hoped for, having dropped four of five entering Tuesday’s non-region contest against Juab at Stansbury High School.
It didn’t look promising early in Tuesday’s game, either, as the visiting Wasps led 25-18 with 2:19 left in the first half, and 33-28 with 3:30 left in the third quarter. However, the Stallions turned things around in a big way over the final 11:30, as junior Ainsley Thurber scored 17 points during a 26-6 run to close the game to lead Stansbury to a 55-39 win.
Potential game-tying shot in final seconds won’t fall for SHS ♦
Just when things appeared to be at their worst in Tuesday night’s non-region game against Bear River, the Stansbury girls basketball team was at its best.
The Stallions trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter and hadn’t shot well all night, but suddenly found their stride on both ends of the court as they put together a 12-4 run to close to within a point of the Bears in the final seconds. However, thanks to some key late free throws, and a missed 3-pointer that would have tied the game, Bear River escaped Stansbury High School with a 45-40 victory.
Second-half run allows SHS to pull away ♦
For two and a half quarters, the Stansbury girls basketball team had its hands full in its home opener Tuesday night against Park City.
However, the Stallions found their stride at just the right time. A 19-3 run in the third and fourth quarters turned a close game into a blowout, as Stansbury rolled to a 49-26 win over the Miners at Stansbury High School.
Park City (1-2) trailed by just five points after a basket by Sam Riely early in the third quarter, and Stansbury (1-1) had already committed three second-half turnovers. However, Stallions forward Sarah Gatluak sparked a huge Stansbury run with a layup in transition, followed by a putback layup and an and-one that gave SHS a 27-15 lead with 4:57 left in the period. After a timeout by the Miners, Gatluak capped her personal 8-0 run with a free throw, and teammate Ainsley Thurber knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to extend Stansbury’s lead to 31-15.
Stallions’ young bench learning on the job ♦
This year’s Stansbury girls basketball team is somewhat of a paradox: the Stallions are both extremely experienced, yet extremely inexperienced at the same time.
Entering this season, Stansbury’s starting five of Payten Staley, Sarah Gatluak, Malia Tia, Epa Tia and Ainsley Thurber have combined to play 169 varsity games in their playing careers, with Staley and Malia Tia the only seniors. Behind them, however, the Stallions have 17 games of varsity experience coming into the 2020-21 campaign: Natalie Ogden has seen action in nine games, while Jessica Smart played in three games last season and Kyla Collins played in five games two years ago. Throw in a limited number of practices, and it has been a challenge for coach Brittany Davies and her team as they try to get up to speed.