Lady Templars drop two close region games, turn attention to state tournament

MANTI — The Manti girls basketball team closed Region 13 play last week with a pair of narrow losses, falling to Carbon on the road before dropping a home game to Union as the regular season came to an end.

Manti opened the week with a 39–35 loss at Carbon on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The game stayed tight throughout, with the teams separated by four points or fewer in every quarter. Carbon led 22–16 at halftime, and while Manti matched the Dinos point-for-point in the second half, the Templars were unable to erase the early deficit.

Madelyn Bridges led Manti with 12 points, reaching double figures in a low-scoring contest dominated by half-court possessions and defensive pressure. Carlie Thompson added seven points, while Brenna Larsen scored six as Manti held Carbon to just six points in the fourth quarter but could not generate enough offense late to pull ahead.

Two nights later, Manti returned home to face Union on Thursday, Feb. 5, but came up short in a 59–49 loss. After leading 11–6 at the end of the first quarter, the Templars struggled to contain Union’s offense in the third period, where the Cougars outscored Manti 26–12 to seize control of the game.

Bridges again paced Manti, finishing with 14 points and converting 12 of 14 free throws. Brenna Larsen added 10 points, and Andelyn Dewey contributed nine, but Union’s balanced scoring and rebounding edge proved decisive down the stretch.

The two losses left Manti with a 5–18 overall record and a 1–7 mark in Region 13, placing the Templars fifth in the region standings at the conclusion of league play.

Manti now turns its focus to postseason play. The Templars are scheduled to open the 3A girls basketball state tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a first-round road game at Layton Christian Academy. First-round games will be played at the higher seed’s home site before the tournament shifts to Cedar City later in the week.