Maple Mountain girls basketball’s second consecutive good game not quite enough vs. Box Elder
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes a shot on the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Morgan Blaney (20) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Maddie Eaton (5) takes a shot on the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Maddie Eaton (5) takes a shot on the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) and Maple Mountain's guard Valentina Heyn (12) reset themselves during short break in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
A scramble for the ball ensues in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Maddie Eaton (5) takes the ball up the court in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's head coach Cory Green communicates with his players in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The bench reacts after Maple Mountain goes down 5 points in the last minutes of the game in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Maddie Eaton (5) reaches for a loose ball in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) and Maple Mountain's Karlee Worthington (22) reach for a rebound in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Nicole Heyn (3) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Morgan Blaney (20) takes the ball to the hoop in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Maple Mountain's Maddie Eaton (5) takes the ball up the court in the 4A Utah state championship quarterfinal round between Maple Mountain and Box Elder Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
One of the biggest challenges the Maple Mountain girls basketball team has faced in the 2016-17 season is playing two good games in a row. The Golden Eagles would look great in one game, then struggle the next.
For the state tournament, however, Maple Mountain managed to put together two straight solid performances.
Even a good showing turned out to be not quite enough for the Golden Eagles in Thursday’s 4A quarterfinals against Region 5 champion Box Elder at Salt Lake Community College as the Bees held on for the 49-46 win.
“We had a good game plan but we missed some easy shots down the stretch and I think that was the difference,” Maple Mountain head coach Cory Green said. “We had a lot of open looks inside but we just couldn’t quite convert them. Defensively I thought we played well for most of the game. I think we can go out at least to some extent with our heads held high.”
The Golden Eagles put themselves in position to force overtime after two free throws by sophomore Maddie Eaton in the final 30 seconds cut the Box Elder lead to three points.
Four straight Bee misses from the foul line and a Maple Mountain offensive rebound ended up giving the Golden Eagles three chances to tie, but the ball sailed out of bounds on the first and two 3-point attempts in the final 10 seconds were blocked.
“We had our chances and I guess that’s all you can hope for,” Green said. “Box Elder is a good team. I don’t think most people gave us much chance of staying with them. I’m proud of the way we hung with them.”
Box Elder had a couple of times during the course of the game where it was able to build a bit of a lead and threatened to pull away but Maple Mountain always found a way to respond.
“We played about as good as we could play on the defensive end,” Green said. “I wishing our shooting percentage would’ve been a little higher and we got a little impatient at times. That has kind of bit us all year. That hurt us a little bit tonight, taking quick shots when we shouldn’t have.”
Eaton and senior Nicole Heyn led the way with 15 points apiece for the Golden Eagles, while Bee star Keslee Stevenson scored 14 to lead a balanced scoring effort for Box Elder.
The Bees advance to face Judge Memorial in the 4A semifinals.
Green said he was proud of his Maple Mountain squad even with all the ups and downs they went through this season.
“This group was a roller coaster,” Green said. “People would ask me how it was going to be and I would say, I don’t know. Every night was a surprise. Most of all, I’ll remember that regardless of the ups and downs of how they played, they were a fun group to coach. We have a fun group of seniors who came up as freshmen and have been part of the program for four years. We have a nice young base to build on with two returning starters next year. I think most of all it was a fun team to be around and they got better as the season went. Hopefully the foundation was set to continue the success.”
Maple Mountain 46, Hillcrest 36
MAPLE MOUNTAIN (46): N. Heyn 15, Eaton 15, Jex 2, V. Heyn 4, Worthington 4, Andersen 5, Hansen 1 . Totals 12 21-26 46.
BOX ELDER (49): McKee 4, Peacock 9, Stevenson 14, Isaacson 7, Curtis 5, Mortensen 2, Reeder 3, Davis 5. Totals 17 13-24 49.
Maple Mountain 8 10 14 14 — 46
Box Elder 10 12 11 16 — 49
3-point goals: Maple Mountain 1 (Andersen), Box Elder 2 (Stevenson 2).
MAPLE MOUNTAIN (46): N. Heyn 15, Eaton 15, Jex 2, V. Heyn 4, Worthington 4, Andersen 5, Hansen 1 . Totals 12 21-26 46.
BOX ELDER (49): McKee 4, Peacock 9, Stevenson 14, Isaacson 7, Curtis 5, Mortensen 2, Reeder 3, Davis 5. Totals 17 13-24 49.
Maple Mountain;8;10;14;14;–;46
Box Elder;10;12;11;16;–;49
3-point goals: Maple Mountain 1 (Andersen), Box Elder 2 (Stevenson 2).