Defensive minded: Springville tops Wasatch 67-56
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- Springville guard Mason Hansen drives hard through the lane versus tough defensive pressure during Tuesday’s 67-56 win over the Wasps. January 27, 2026
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- Springville’s Sam Nadauld towers over a Wasatch defender for two of his nine points scored in a 67-56 win over the Wasps. January 27, 2026
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- Springville’s Sam Naudald rises up for a jump shot during his team’s 67-56 win over Wasatch on Tuesday. January 27, 2026
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- Springville’s Mason Hansen drives the baseline during his team’s 67-56 win over Wasatch on Tuesday. January 27, 2026
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- Wasatch forward JJ Serre looks to drive the lane during his team’s 67-56 loss to Springville. January 27, 2026
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- Springville’s Mason Hansen just gets his shot off over two Wasatch defenders in his team’s 67-56 win over the Wasps on Tuesday. January 27, 2026
Springville is a team that is often overlooked when considering the top teams in Utah Valley, but more often than not proves that it shouldn’t be. With the regular season wrapping up in just less than a month, the Red Devils again look poised for yet another impressive postseason run as they keep stacking up wins.
On Tuesday the Red Devils took down 17-win Wasatch to push their record to 12-5. Always tough-minded and system-oriented, Springville coach Justin Snell had a lot to be pleased with following the win, although one particular aspect pleased him most.
“I was really happy tonight about how we defended,” Snell said. “That’s a team that averages 70 a night and we kept them well below that, and that’s what it’s going to take for us. We obviously have some guys who can score, but if we want to make a run at the end of the year, then it’s going to come on the defensive end.”
It’s a formula Snell has put forth throughout his 11 years coaching for Springville, and it’s no different this season.
“You can have all the talent, which we have, but if you don’t defend and rebound, then it doesn’t matter,” Snell said. “It’s always been that way here. It’s always because of our focus on the defensive end. The focus is to get stops first and then everything else will come with that. So I think the last few games our players have made some really good strides in doing that, and you saw that continue tonight.”
Of course teams need to score, and there’s few in the state who can do it better than Springville’s Mason Hansen. In Tuesday’s win the senior guard scored from all spots on the floor, but was particularly good from behind the arc, swishing through six 3-pointers on his way to scoring a game-high 29 points.
Mason Hansen presented a lot of the form set forth by his famous father, Travis Hansen, who starred for both Mountain View and BYU before moving on to play at the NBA level.
“Being Travis Hansen’s son comes with pressure, but Mason has earned the right to have that name on the back of his shirt with how he’s developed and just for being the player that he is,” Snell said. “He’s done a great job for us and it’s such an advantage to have a guy out there that you can just give the ball to and leave it up to him to read and play. Mason is so good at that and he’s obviously huge for our team with everything he does.”
Snell was quick to point out all the help Mason has in the form of players such as Jamyn Sondrup, who can be a load for any opponent with his presence inside, guard Swift Hall and both Sam Naudald and Bridger Frischknecht, who scored nine and 11 points respectively in Tuesday’s win.
“Everyone played a big role tonight, but I really liked how Bridger stepped up,” Snell said. “As Mason and Swift gets keyed on, teams are going to have to leave someone open. Tonight that guy was Bridger and he got it done and hit some big shots for us. We’re going to need that from him and from everyone else if we want to make a good run this year.”
A key stretch for the Red Devils came during an eight minute period stretching from about four minutes remaining in the second quarter to the first four minutes of the third quarter. During this time Springville took the lead 29-25 at the half and then stretched it to 40-27 to open up the third quarter.
Again, it was the defense that generated just about all of it.
“It was a huge stretch for us,” Snell said. “Jamyn picked up some early fouls, but he was able to play with two fouls for a long stretch there, and that was big for us. Then the start of the second half I felt we had a lot of energy and we were really focused on getting stops, which then allowed us to push the ball and then find the open guy. It was a very good stretch.”
Springville’s stretch to finish off the regular season with tough games versus Timpview, Orem and Payson on tap, although the trajectory Snell and his team have established in recent games could again provide positive results.
