Orem whips rival Provo in mock title game

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, I went to Orem to cover the Orem-Provo boys basketball game. Normally, I try to avoid games that the local media covers, but they were all there on this night - with photographers, too. My story - for Orem's yearbook - appears below.

To read the other articles, click on these links: Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Provo Herald.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Coming into the season, the Orem Tigers felt they might have a special team. But if the Tigers were going to have the success they hoped, one thing had to happen.

Step aside, Provo.

On Tuesday night, the Tigers took another step toward that goal.

Josh Pollard scored 21 points, Dalton Nixon added 18 and Cooper Holt game off the bench to ignite a first-quarter flurry as the Orem downed Provo for the second time this season, 82-65. The win improved the Tigers to 14-1 overall and 8-0 in Region 8.

It was the fourth straight win over the Bulldogs, meaning second-year coach Golden Holt has never lost to his main rival - which has 18 state titles in its history (the most of any Utah school) and has been a constant thorn to the Tigers.

“My speech before the game was this was for the (region) championship,” Holt said. “Provo hadn’t lost since the last time we played them and the game had a championship feel to it.

“I said let’s go play for a championship and see if we’re ready for state.”

Only time will tell, of course. But unlike most of Orem’s previous region games, Provo didn’t try to dictate the tempo. So, Orem did. The Tigers never trailed. They shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the first half and took a 48-26 lead.

“We just told the kids to go out there and ‘man up,’” Coach Holt said. “We got ahead and there wasn’t anything they could do about the tempo.”

Cooper Holt entered only a few minutes into the game and scored 10 points in a span of just a couple of minutes. In fact, just as Provo’s fans started singing, “Daddy’s boy,” Holt nailed four baskets, including a couple of treys.

Provo coach Craig Drury noted the difference in the game immediately.

“Holt just killed us,” he said. “He came in there and hit those shots from everywhere. I thought we were a good defensive team, but we didn’t show it.”

Holt’s play got the Tigers on a roll and, for long stretches, Orem could do no wrong. They shot 63 percent through the third quarter before Coach Holt started substituting. The Tigers’ largest lead was 75-50 with 4:50 remaining in the game.

Drury said the Bulldogs’ 52-50 win over another rival – Timpview – just four days earlier might have affected his team. Playing on Orem’s home floor without Christopher Moore, who was out with a sprained ankle, also didn’t help.

Regardless, the real difference seemed to be the usual factors – Orem’s length, depth, shooting ability, rebounding, etc…

Provo didn’t go down without a fight. Dallin Bosco, the son of the legendary BYU quarterback, had 25 points and nailed four three-pointers to keep the Bulldogs close until he grew tired near the end. Center Jonny Flake was a thorn inside and finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Adam Finch added 11 points.

Provo, however, couldn’t stay with Orem at that pace. They came closer – 60-49 – three weeks ago and other Region opponents followed Drury’s idea to slow the pace. On team – Springville - even stalled profusely to get Orem out of its element.

Drury, who has won more state titles than any other Utah coach, didn’t have any coaching magic tonight.

“There are still six games left and they (the Tigers) still have to perform, but we’re going to have a tough time getting that No. 1 seed (in the 4A state tournament).”

The 82 points Provo gave up was a season high (to date). The Bulldogs narrowed the gap in the third quarter, but Pollard. Nixon and Zach Hunsaker kept them from getting too close.




GAME SUMMARY

Provo 11 15 20 19 - 65
Orem 23 25 15 19 - 82

PROVO (65) – Adam Finch 5-10 0-0 11, Dallin Bosco 10-18 1-2 25, Wesley Bosco 2-7 3-3 7, Cole Gordon 0-1 0-0 0, Jonny Flake 3-6 6-7 12, Russell Isom 0-1 2-2 2, Kameron Hamilton 0-0 2-2 2, Jordan Tanner 0-0 0-0 0, Brian Carter 0-0 2-2 2, Bryson Hunter 0-1 0-0 0, Robert Dean 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 21-45 18-20 65;
OREM (82) – Zach Hunsaker 6-9 2-4 16, Quinn Peters 0-3 4-4 4, Jordan Darger 1-4 2-3 4, Josh Pollard 8-9 5-8 21, Dalton Nixon 7-10 2-2 18, Cooper Holt 5-8 0-0 12, Christian Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Cole Payne 0-1 0-0 0, David Runyan 1-1 0-0 2, Jago De Piano 1-2 0-0 3, Ethen Chatterly 0-0 0-0 0, Parker Overly 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-50 15-21 82.
Total fouls: Orem 20, Provo 19. Fouled out: Darger. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Provo 5-18 (D. Bosco 4, Finch). Orem 3-14 (Hunsaker 2, Nixon 2, Holt 2, De Piano).
Rebounds: Provo 17 (Finch, Flake 5). Orem 28 (Darger 6).
Turnovers: Provo 16, Orem 15.