Highland • The teams entered the final period tied at 34-34, but from there, it was no contest. Lone Peak made it clear that it is still the defending champion.
After three quarters of close play, the hometown Knights (12-2) secured a 55-40 win over American Fork (11-2) with a tremendous fourth-quarter effort in a rematch of last year’s Class 5A title game.
It was a much-anticipated contest — the parking lot was full and the stands were packed nearly an hour before tipoff. The hype overshadows the fact that the Knights have won the rivalry game the past 12 times they’ve played the Cavemen. But the latest installment in the series was certainly hard fought.
"AF played us tough — I mean, it was hard, and that’s a good team," said junior guard Nick Emery, who finished with a game-high 20 points. "We knew right from the start it was going to be a battle the whole game."
It was definitely a battle of stars — only one bench player scored between the two teams — and Lone Peak’s shined the brightest at the finish. T.J. Haws scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, and Emery scored seven. And the team, which struggled with free throws early, shot 11-of-13 in the final period from the line.
But it was also tenacious defense that won the game for the Knights. After getting abused by American Fork’s frontcourt, Lone Peak switched into a zone that befuddled the Cavemen. It led to a 17-1 run that left the Knights safely ahead as the clock wound down.
"We had to try some different things to get them off balance," Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis said. "In the first half, we acted like we were in fifth grade playing Junior Jazz, just running around. Then we played smarter and got what we wanted."
In the first quarter, it appeared American Fork had the upper hand. With the post rotation, led by Zac Hunter, the Cavemen found a steady stream of scoring. And Quincy Bair and Marcel Davis made Lone Peak pay with some outside shots.
American Fork’s hot streak coincided with early struggles for Lone Peak’s offense. As Emery and Haws shot cold, Talon Shumway, Chase Hansen and Brody Berry helped carry the Knights through the first half.
But American Fork ground to a halt in the second half, as Bair and Davis were held to a combined single point. The Cavemen attempted to catch the Knights off-guard by stalling and waiting for holes in the zone, but it simply led to turnovers and missed buckets.
Davis was already thinking ahead to the next shot it will get at Lone Peak, Feb. 10 at home.
"It’s gonna be in the back of our heads until next time," Davis said. "We’re gonna work on attacking that zone and knocking down shots."
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