Wasatch thumps Jordan, 101-44
Tigers continue to earn No. 1 Utah ranking
Matt Harris
Staff writer
2-23-2017
MT. PLEASANT—Once again, Wasatch showed everyone why the No. 1 state ranking is all their own.
The Wasatch Academy boys basketball team flat-out hammered visiting 5A power Jordan, No. 16 in the state, 101-44. The Tigers now own a 22-4 record on the season and are ranked No. 15 nationally in the USA Today Super 25 poll.
Wasatch never left the game in doubt, jumping out to a 27-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers led 52-19 at halftime. It is the second straight time the Tigers have eclipsed 100 points in a game after blasting Kearns, 104-58, last week.
While junior Emmanuel Akot provided the lift off on offense to the tune of 34 points, with four threes, it was senior Josip Vrankic who provided the fuel. The Santa Clara University commit went off for a triple-double, scoring 21 points while grabbing 16 rebounds and dishing out 15 assists. Vrankic also contributed five steals and two blocks to complete his jaw-dropping stat line. Senior Michael Okafor chipped in 10 points.
The Tigers’ season is not over yet. Wasatch is set to face Impact Academy, a different team than the one they played a few weeks ago, literally, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 3:45 p.m. It remains to be seen if the Tigers’ season will continue on the national level. Their season resume includes an undefeated record in Utah, with wins over Lone Peak, Layton, Timpview, and Jordan, all top-20 teams in the state.
They also won the FreeTaxUSA.com Shootout in Orem and the San Bernadino Valley Invitational in California. Their season is marred only by a 0-3 record against nationally-ranked teams: Chino Hills, IMG Academies, and Findlay Prep.
