MANTI — The Manti boys basketball team is a team on a mission.
Manti advanced on from the second round of the UHSAA 3A state championship tournament last Saturday, defeating Juab 57-39. The win is Manti’s third over Juab this season, and it secures the Templars a spot in the 3A quarterfinals at Weber State University this Thursday.
Manti’s 39 points allowed were the fewest against a 3A opponent since last season against Maeser Prep. The Templars held Juab to 27 percent shooting from the field and only 1-of-19 from the perimeter. Manti more than tripled Juab on assists, 15-4.
“As far as consistency, execution, discipline, and guys making the right decisions, I was just pleased with how we played against Juab,” Coach Devin Shakespear said. “I was really pleased with a maturity we showed. They played with a lot of confidence and really intelligently.”
Junior Kayson Douglas led all scorers with 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while junior Dylan Anderson scored 13 points. Sophomore Reggie Frischknecht was only a rebound shy of a double-double as he finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Junior Christian Hansen was impressive as well, finishing with seven points and three blocks.
Manti jumped on Juab early and with tenacity in front of a roaring Manti home crowd, outscoring them 15-8 in the first quarter. Manti extended its lead double-digits midway through the second quarter on a 3-pointer from junior Larsen Pogroszewski.
The Templars led 38-28 at the end of the third quarter, and added a 19-10 advantage in the final period to cruise to the win.
While nearly everyone around the state was prepared for a North Sanpete-Manti rematch, a shocking upset up north on the county border sends Manti to the Weber State campus to take on a red-hot American Leadership Academy team bringing their glass slippers to the ball.
“ALA has good shooters, good length, they work really hard,” Shakespear said. “This 3A classification, as usual, top to bottom, is the most even classification in the state.”
