Manti boys top North Sanpete 68-53
Photo by Kyle Parry.
MANTI — Manti controlled the second half Friday night and pulled away for a 68-53 Region 13 boys basketball win against North Sanpete, completing a season sweep of the Hawks and extending its recent run of victories.
The Templars led 35-30 at halftime before limiting North Sanpete to seven points in the fourth quarter. Manti outscored the Hawks 19-7 in the final period to secure the home conference win.
Carter Mason led Manti with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting and added five assists. Adam Thomas followed with 16 points while shooting 83 percent from the field. Will Barton scored 11 points and contributed three assists as Manti finished with 17 assists as a team.
North Sanpete stayed within striking distance through three quarters behind balanced scoring and steady execution. James Clayton paced the Hawks with 15 points and five assists, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. Gunner Pollock added 13 points, while Maddox Madsen chipped in nine.
The Hawks cut into the deficit in the third quarter, matching Manti point for point, but struggled to generate offense late as the Templars tightened defensively and controlled the tempo down the stretch.
The win marked Manti’s third consecutive victory and followed a 72-58 region win over Union earlier in the week. Manti also defeated North Sanpete 105-92 on Jan. 7 in Mt. Pleasant.
At halftime, Manti High School honored Devin Shakespear and his family for their contributions to the school’s athletics program.
Manti improved its Region 13 record to 4-1 and remained in first place in the region standings. North Sanpete fell to 7-12 overall.
Both teams return to region play Wednesday, with Manti traveling to Emery and North Sanpete hosting Union. Look for coverage on those games in next week’s issue.