JAM!
Wasatch buries foes,
ranked No. 6 in nation
By Matt Harris
Staff writer
2-13-2020
MT.PLEASANT—Winning two games against outmatched instate opponents was a given, but the Tigers’ Brennan Rigsby took all of five seconds to let everyone know about Wasatch Academy.
Wasatch Academy boys’ hoops delivered two dominant wins over Layton Christian Academy, 130-52, and American Heritage, 117-60, to move to 27-2 overall and secure a No. 6 ranking in MaxPreps.com’s Xcellent 25 rankings. The win over Layton Christian marked the Tigers’ senior night and final home game.
While not a leading scorer in any game, Rigsby delivered a signature moment of Wasatch Academy’s season in the fourth quarter of a blowout, a moment that painted a picture of the coming years of Tiger basketball.
Taking a loose ball on a clear path to the basket, Rigsby took a massive leap, looped the ball in between his legs, and jammed it down with authority for a style dunk so impressive, it achieved over 3 million views combined across major social media platforms.
Coach David Evans expressed his pleasure in seeing the play spread like a brush fire around social media; it gave immeasurable positive press for the Tigers.
Rigsby’s dunk was one of several highlight-reel plays for the Tigers against Layton Christian as the lion’s share of their offense generated via transition or unguarded drives. Shortly prior to the play, Senior Mike Saunders alley-ooped an inbounds pass from the baseline that senior Mady Sissoko slammed home.
Six players scored in double figures led by senior Caleb Lohner’s 23 points. Richie Saunders and Sissoko each scored 21, and Mike Saunders scored 16 points. Juniors Rigsby and Fousseyni Traore scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Tigers took 83 shots total at a rate of 67 percent.
Against American Heritage, Sissoko led six players in double digits with 18 points, and Richie Saunders scored 16 points while Lohner had 13. Sophomores Richard Isaacs Jr. and Leonard Miller each scored 13 points, and Traore scored 10.
The Tigers await a decision on their standing in the GEICO Nationals in New York City this March. Wasatch Academy is a consensus pick to make the tournament, projected as highly as the second seed.
