Templar outlast Wasps, then drop two games
Bob Bahlmann
Staff writer
12-8-2016
RICHFIELD—After an impressive 53-48 overtime win at Juab last Thursday, Nov. 29, the Manti Templars varsity basketball team drew a pair of tough opponents in the 3A-2A Preview at the Sevier Valley Center.
Manti came up short against Pine View on Friday, dropping that game 66-35 and then made a late-game run against Enterprise on Saturday, but still came up short, 80-72.
At Juab, the Templars were sparked by six straight points by Dylan Wathen to overcome a 10-point deficit in the final quarter of regulation play.
With two minutes left on the clock, Sam Benson banked in a three from the top of the key to tie the game at 43. Mac Stevens then hit a pair of free throws to give Manti the lead, but Juab matched those with a pair of free throws of their own to tie it at 45.
The Templars had a couple of opportunities to win it in the final seconds, but couldn’t convert.
Juab took the early lead in the overtime until Tanner Rasmussen drilled a three with 1:55 left to play to give Manti a 49-48 lead. With 20 seconds on the clock, Wathen stepped in front of a Juab pass for a steal and a layup.
Brenton Thompson got a steal on the next Wasp possession, and Benson hit a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Stevens joined Corbin Linam with 10 points each. Rasmussen and Wathen had nine each; Benson added seven, and Thompson, Kole Brailsford, Matt Nelson and Riley Curtis had two each.
Against Pine View, the Templars were outmatched from the get-go, trailing by four after the first quarter, 12 at the half, and 18 going into the fourth.
Despite the loss, the young Templars had an opportunity to get most of the players involved. Wathen and Benson led the scoring with seven each; Rasmussen had six, Brailsford and Nelson had four each, Curtis had three and Thomson joined Stevens with two each.
Saturday’s game against Enterprise saw the Templars get off to a slow start again. Trailing by 15 at the half, and by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter, the Templars showed their trademark tenacity and fought back, getting as close as five in the final minutes, but couldn’t catch the Wolves.
The Templars had a balanced scoring game with four players in double figures. Stevens led the team with 14, Wathen and Rasmussen had 13 each and Curtis added 12, all from behind the three-point line. Linam had eight points; Kade Nicholes joined Nelson with five each and Thomson had two.
This week the Templars were at Maeser Prep on yesterday (score unavailable) and will host North Sanpete tomorrow at 7 p.m.
