Lehi Sports
Falcon boys end season with playoff loss
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
The No. 7 Skyridge High School boys basketball team hosted No. 10 Herriman in the second round of the 6A state tournament on Friday (Feb. 20) after both teams got a bye in the first round. The Mustangs prevailed 68-51 to close out the season for the Falcons with an overall record of 15-9.
Herriman raced out of the gates to establish an early lead, outscoring the Falcons 18-5 in the first period and the Mustangs never trailed throughout the contest. The Falcons were down by 14 points at the break but fought until the final buzzer.
They played the visitors nearly even in the second half, scoring just three points less than Herriman in the final two quarters, but they couldn’t make any headway in reducing the big deficit.
The Mustang defense was relentless and physical, suffocating Skyridge’s offensive sets and forcing multiple turnovers. However, the Falcon offense did draw a lot of fouls and the players made 16 free throws to nine for Herriman to keep the game closer.
Senior forward Hunter Sheffield’s timely triple late in the fourth quarter gave the Falcons hope and energized the crowd. However, it wasn’t enough to close the gap without more stops and unanswered scoring.
Skyridge’s gritty defensive performance effectively disrupted Herriman’s timing and flow at times during the game, showing flashes of the fantastic run the team made late in the season. The Falcons have remained resilient and positive through every challenge, on and off the court.
Senior guard Joel Gardner was the top scorer for Skyridge with 19 points, almost double his season average. His total included a triple.
Senior forward Carson Mosteller and senior guard Zach Gagon scored 10 points apiece, with Mosteller hitting a pair of treys and Gagon sinking one shot from long distance.
Senior forward Ryder Gentry added six points and sophomore guard Koa Wallwork provided three points along with Sheffield.
