Lady Bulldogs edge out Lady

Templars 39-38 in season opener

By Eli Butler

Staff writer

Dec. 7, 2017

MANTI—A one-point victory (39-38) of the Gunnison girls basketball team over Manti on Nov. 21 started off the season for both teams.

Since then, the Lady Bulldogs have won two and lost one, winning against American Leadership Academy (ALA), 48-24, and against Rockwell, 66-24, with the loss against Grand, 38-27.

At the season opener for the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Templars in Manti, a constant back-and-forth battle continued throughout the game, with loud fans making their voices heard, especially when Manti took the lead 15-14 at the half.

Gunnison scored 16 in the third quarter against Manti’s nine, putting Bulldogs up 30-24.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were up 33-35 with 1:39 left. Everyone in the gym was cheering and yelling with this close game.

With 42.2 seconds left, Gunnison’s Tayler Brackett got fouled, missed the first free throw and made the second to put the Bulldogs up by one, 39-38.

High scorer for the game was Gunnison’s Kezzley Winn with 11 points and two rebounds, with her teammate Kaitlin Wegener making nine points and pulling down eight rebounds.

Manti’s Amie Squire put in nine points and was excellent on defense.

In the home game against Grand, Gunnison was up 18-17 at the half. In the third quarter, the Red Devils pulled ahead by four, with the low-scoring fourth quarter adding three more points to Grand’s lead, ending the game for Gunnison with a 38-27 loss.

The Bulldogs’ Jaida King scored 11 in the game, with one three-pointer, while two players on the Red Devils combined for 32 points.

Against ALA in Spanish Fork on Tuesday, Nov. 28, Gunnison won 48-24. Gunnison’s King scored 13 with four rebounds.

At home against Rockwell on Friday, Dec. 1, the Bulldogs won 66-24. Gunnison’s Paige King scored 11, and Jaida King put in 10.