Lehi Sports
Pioneer girls bump up in league hoops
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Lehi High School girls basketball team has moved into a tie for second place in Region 3 with two critical wins in the past two weeks. With two games left, the Pioneers have a 13-8 overall record.
Jan. 27: Farmington 56, Lehi 47
The Pioneers had the advantage at 25-20 going into the break, but the homestanding Phoenix outscored them by 10 points in the third quarter and Lehi wasn’t able to catch up.
Senior forward Madi Andrews netted 13 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the effort for the visitors. Sophomore post Kelcee Rasmussen added 11 points with three assists.
Senior guard Brynlee Cook posted a solid floor game with five points, five boards, three assists, four steals and a blocked shot. Sophomore guard Cali Ashton contributed five points plus three rebounds and two blocks.
“This was a tough one on the road,” said Coach Sean Seastrand. “Farmington got really hot in the third quarter and it was a little too much to overcome but I’m really proud of our effort. They keep playing hard despite some setbacks. You love that about a group.”
Jan. 30: Lehi 52, American Fork 43
The Pioneers prevailed in a lively, back-and-forth contest on the road. The squads dueled even at 13 points apiece in the first quarter, but the Cavemen earned the edge 25-23 going into the break.
The teams were tied up again at 33 with 3:10 left in the third period, and that’s when the tide began to turn in Lehi’s favor for good.
Ashton hit a big triple after a pass from freshman guard Brinley Sorensen to key a 7-3 spurt to finish the quarter and give the visitors a four-point advantage entering the final stanza.
Some important rebounds by Rasmussen and a timely trey from Cook helped extend the margin to 45-36 with five minutes left and great defense down the stretch assisted the Pioneers in cruising to the finish line from there.
Andrews played a fantastic game, leading the way with 20 points including a pair of long bombs and she also posted seven rebounds and two blocks. Cook sank two from beyond the arc as well, finishing with 16 points plus eight boards.
Rasmussen made her presence felt too with a near double-double of 10 points plus eight rebounds and three blocks. Junior guard Hayden Warren dished out five assists.
“It was an intense, really fun game,” Seastrand said. “I’m so proud of this team for being able to go into a road region, semi-rivalry game and get a great win. Our defense in the second half was really tough, and the girls did a great job getting stops and rebounds.
“I’m super proud of this team’s grit to go through a handful of really tough losses we felt like we could have won,” the coach said. “To respond to that adversity with a big win shows their character.”
Feb. 3: Lehi 55, Skyridge 50
The Pioneers and Falcons played a high-energy game at a frenetic pace, with the teams taking turns making runs and shifting the momentum back and forth. They were tied at 19-all halfway through the second quarter, but triples by Andrews and Cook helped push Lehi ahead 32-23 at the break.
The lead didn’t last. Skyridge slowly chipped away at it until the teams were tied once again at 44 apiece with seven minutes left on the clock, and the Falcons briefly retook the lead shortly thereafter. However, the Pioneers finished the contest with a 7-1 run to secure the victory.
Cook and Andrews were outstanding on both ends all night and sparked the effort for the home squad. Cook tallied 18 points with four boards and six steals, while Andrews added 16 points with six boards, three assists and three steals.
Freshman forward Camryn Bell gave her team a big lift off the bench with a pair of treys and eight points total. Rasmussen collected six rebounds and two blocks and Warren gathered three boards and three gives.
“This was an incredibly fun rivalry game as usual,” Seastrand said. “It seems like we’re just destined to continue to have tough down-to-the-wire games with this team. It was a fun environment put on by both student councils as well.
“Our two senior leaders were so good and made big plays all night,” the coach continued. “Madi and Brynlee kept us locked in and confident when Skyridge took the lead late. Brynlee then made her big bucket to seal the deal and make it a two-possession game with time running out.
“That was a fun moment among many,” Seastrand said. “I’m proud of our girls responding to our first round of region games experiencing some heartbreakers with some big wins in the second time around. Now we just need to finish strong.”
The regular season ends this week with the Pioneers at Lone Peak on Tuesday (Feb. 10) with double-header game times for the varsity girls at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
Region 3 play wraps up Friday (Feb. 13) at home on Senior Night against Corner Canyon with varsity game times of 5:15 p.m. for the girls and 7 p.m. for the boys.
The 6A state tournament bracket reveal show is scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 14) beginning at 10 a.m. at KSLSports.com/stream.
