Templars defeat Enterprise, but fall to
Grantsville in early season competition
By James Tilson
Staff writer
Dec. 7, 2017
RICHFIELD—Playing in the Central Utah Basketball Preview, the Manti Templars boys basketball team went 1-1 in their games last weekend, earning a victory against Enterprise, 67-55, and falling to Grantsville, 48-65.
Sixteen teams competed in the Central Utah Basketball Preview over two days.
Manti’s first game came on Friday, Dec. 1, against old 2A foe Enterprise High School.
Manti led throughout and was keyed by the performance of Matt Nelson. Nelson scored from long-distance, hitting four three-pointers and scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds—his second double-double of the young season.
In Saturday’s game against Grantsville, the Templars played close and tough in the first half, behind 25-32 after two quarters.
Yet Grantsville kept pulling ahead, especially in the fourth quarter by eight points, to win comfortably by 17 at the end.
Kole Brailsford let the Templars with a very efficient game, scoring 16 points on 6-8 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe.
Manti’s coach, Devin Shakespear, said, “Early in the season, we are looking for consistency through tough times. We hope to improve those things as we move forward.”
Shakespear noted that the team is averaging 17 assists per game so far, which is an excellent stat. He also noted that the team needed to cut down on turnovers and improve its rebounding.
The Templars played last night at home versus the Bulldogs of Gunnison Valley High School (score unavailable). The Templars will host the Juab Wasps on Friday night at 7 p.m.
