Lehi Sports
Pioneer girls win tourney
The Lehi High School girls basketball team won four consecutive games in mid-December before dropping a close one to move their record to 7-4 so far this season, all in non-region contests.
Dec. 12-14: Lehi wins the Southern Classic Tournament
The Pioneers got started with a 63-45 triumph over Viewmont during their Dixie road trip. They went on to top Crimson Cliffs 50-40 and then beat Pine View 58-37 to win the event trophy.
Against the Vikings, Lehi had a well-balanced attack. Sophomore guard Hayden Warren led the way with 16 points including 4-of-4 from long distance and also made seven rebounds and four assists. The team sank 14 triples overall.
Senior wing Ellie Hill added 14 points with three boards, three assists and three steals while senior guard Mckenzie Jepsonregistered a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds plus four steals. Junior guard Brynlee Cook contributed 11 points and three steals.
“We played well against a good Viewmont team tonight,” said Coach Sean Seastrand. “We shot threes with exceptional accuracy and having four girls in double figures is awesome for us.
“Hayden Warren had a career high and we spread things around well and passed the ball great tonight,” he continued. “I was proud of our defense. It felt good to get our first win of the season away from home.”
The next day, Jepson took center stage against the Mustangs with 18 points, three boards and four steals. Cook added 13 points with four rebounds while freshman post Kelcee Rasmussen got six points and 12 boards.
“We pulled out a great win on CC’s home floor,” Seastrand said. “We started out hot, but our offense got a little clunky in the middle of the game. We did just enough to get the job done.”
In the title contest, the Pioneers scored in double figures every quarter on the way to an overwhelming victory. Jepson put on a master class with 20 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double and also had six assists and three steals. She was named the tournament MVP.
Cook added 14 points and five boards and Hill chipped in for 13 points and three rebounds, receiving an All-Tournament nod for her efforts on the weekend.
“Our defense was stellar in this game,” Seastrand said. “We were so connected and playing as one. As a result, we got a chance to get out and run and play in transition and we played really well offensively, consistently getting to the paint.
“I’m proud of our group, they’re getting better every day,” the coach said. “They’re working hard, and it’s always fun to win a championship in any form.”
Dec. 17: Lehi 35, Timpview 29
The Thunderbirds worked to a four-point lead at halftime over the visitors, but the Pioneers rallied after the break and outscored their hosts 22-12 to post a solid win over a talented opponent.
Hill led the effort with 14 points and four boards and Cook had an energetic floor game with six points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jepson netted seven points with four boards.
“This was a great win tonight against a very tough Timpview team,” Seastrand said. “Both team’s defenses were very good all night. The offenses grinded out possession after possession and there were no easy baskets for either team.
“Fortunately, we made some big plays down the stretch,” the coach went on. “Brynlee Cook assisted Ellie Hill with 90 seconds to play for a 3-pointer to break the tie. Hayden Warren had a floater with the clock running down to give us the advantage in the final minute.
“Ellie Hill then hit two more free throws to ice it late. I’m proud of our defense and how we made some confident plays when the chips were down,” Seastrand concluded.
Dec. 19: Provo 50, Lehi 45
A crazy back-and-forth contest with the Bulldogs ended up in favor of the home squad. The Pioneers fell behind 8-17 after the first quarter, but they held the hosts to just two points in the second period and led 23-19 at the half.
Lehi was the one having trouble finding the net in the third quarter, and although they put up 16 points in the final stanza, it wasn’t enough to overcome the dry spell.
Jepson and Cook each had 13 points including three triples. Jepson also had four rebounds and Cook collected three boards, three assists and four steals. Hill added eight points while Rasmussen had five points, four rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Cali Ashton snagged five boards.
The Pioneers had a scheduled game with Springville on Monday (Dec. 30) but results were unavailable at press time and will be given in a future issue. Lehi visits Payson on Friday (Jan. 3) before opening the Region 3 season next Friday (Jan. 10) at American Fork with a 6 p.m. tipoff. The boys game will follow.
