Lady Templars on fire,

winning last four games,

record now 5-0 in region

By Matt Harris 

Staff writer

1/13/2021

MANTI—Forget about those early-season blues, the Lady Templars are now red-hot.

Manti girls’ basketball team won their fourth straight game last week and moved to 5-0 in region play, thrashing Measer Prep, 70-14, and subsequently dominating American Leadership Academy, 62-26, to push their way to a 7-4 overall record.

It was impressive enough that the normally low-scoring defensive Manti squad scored roughly 18 more points per game last week than their season average, but perhaps even more impressive was that it did not come off the hands of its expected producer.

Star senior Kassidy Alder “filled the stat sheet elsewhere,” according to Coach Brennon Schweikart. She only scored a combined 13 points between the two games even after posting a 20-point game in the previous week.

“Games like that happen,” Schweikart said. “We have enough scorers on our team to where she might not score 16 points, yet we have other players that will.”

Against Maeser Prep, it was senior Katie Larsen who led with 16 points, while sophomore Heidi Jorgensen chipped in 10 points, leading nine scorers for the Lady Templars. Manti broke their season record for made field goals with 30 and hit six 3-pointers.

Against ALA, another hot start put the Lady Templars up, 17-5, after the first quarter, and the Lady Eagles didn’t get any closer. Manti shot 40 percent from the field and hit 11 free throws. Jorgensen and Larsen each scored 12 points to lead the team again. Jorgensen converted on two of three from beyond the arc.

Having played Union on the road last Tuesday, Manti will be at home to face Delta this coming Tuesday.