Lady Templars easily get win
over Lady Wolves, 59-32
By Matt Harris
Staff writer
12-30-2020
SALINA—At a point when it was sorely needed, the Manti girls’ basketball teams was given an early Christmas gift.
That gift was an easy opponent in the form of winless North Sevier, and the Lady Templars handled business against the Lady Wolves on Tuesday, Dec. 22, with their fourth win of the season, 59-32, getting Manti back on track before a long break.
Senior guard Kassidy Alder led all scorers with 16 points, much of it coming on perimeter steals leading to fast breaks. Manti went deep into their bench in a dominant win as 11 different players scored for the Lady Templars.
Manti, normally used to earning a sizable chunk of their points at the charity stripe, had a lukewarm day shooting free throws, hitting only 10 of 21 attempts. Instead, the Lady Templars took advantage of a soft defense by North Sevier and a generous helping of fast break points.
Manti took control from the first quarter, displaying their signature defense and stifling North Sevier on every possession in a full-court press. On offense, a gaping hole lying in the middle of the Wolves’ paint led to the Templar’s 10-2 first quarter lead.
Although the two teams traded baskets for the most part in the second quarter, Manti went to the halftime break with a 28-17 lead, then the second half was all Templars.
Coming out of halftime, Manti’s defensive intensity turned even hotter, going on a 6-0 run over the first 4:30 seconds of the third quarter. The Wolves’ attempted to inch back, scoring on their next few possessions, but Alder’s hot hand put North Sevier back on ice with a corner three at the 1:42 mark.
The Lady Templars largest lead was their last, as senior Breanne Wayman’s midrange jumper with 45 seconds left was the final bucket of the game.
Manti’s record moved to 4-4 overall, and they were scheduled to play South Summit last Tuesday. They’ll next be on the road to take on Maeser Prep as they move into the bulk of their region schedule.
