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Timpview's Taki Uluilakepa (left) drives in for a shot against Mountain View in a boys high school basketball game on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Mountain View's Bryce Mella (5) takes a shot against Timpview during a boys high school basketball game on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Mountain View's Taylor Hamblin (2) prepares to drive against Timpview in a boys high school basketball game on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview's Eli St. Clair (13) drives against Mountain View in a boys high school basketball on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Mountain View's Taylor Hamblin (2) prepares to drive against Timpview in a boys high school basketball game on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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The Mountain View student section reacts to a play on the court during a high school boys basketball game against Timpview on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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The Timpview boys basketball team has a goal of holding its opponent to under 50 points in a game.

At halftime of the T-Birds contest at Mountain View, the score was tied at 50-all.

Clearly, a reset was needed.

Timpview held the Bruins to just 10 points in the third quarter and kept that advantage most of the second half, finishing with a high-tempo 98-90 Region 8 victory on Tuesday.

“The way we played defense in the third quarter was the game plan from the start and it didn’t happen,” T-Birds coach Israel Ingle said. “At halftime we tried to emphasize what we were supposed to be doing in the first half. We came out after halftime and pressed a little, not to speed them up or anything. We were trying to slow down their transition. They get the ball out as good as anybody so we tried to set guys where they were trying to outlet it, and it kind of worked.”

James Rust led Timpview with a career-high 31 points, the result of his strong play around the basket and hot shooting. Taki Uluilakepa had a season-high 18 points, Quezon Villa had 17 and Eli St. Clair and Dean Ruekert each added 12.

Tyler Hamblin led Mountain View with 24 points, 19 in the first half, and freshman Bryce Mella tallied 20. Sherman Stafford (16), Connor Fairbanks (15) and Anthony Burgos (13) also scored in double figures for the Bruins.

Villa scored seven points and Rueckert six as Timpview raced to an early 26-12 lead. Mountain countered with 3-pointers from Hamblin, Mella and Stafford to trim the deficit to 29-23 after one quarter.

The Bruins tied the game at 35 on a basket by Mella and the two teams traded baskets the rest of the way, with Rust scoring on a tip in for the T-Birds and Burgos converting inside for Mountain View to tie it at 50 at the break.

“We knew they were going to come out firing because this was a huge game for them, and they shot really well,” Rust said. “Luckily, we did, too. It was just bucket for bucket. They had 50 in the first half, which is unbelievable. Even though they were making everything, we stayed composed to be able to pull out the win. We just had to be willing to play defense.”

The T-Birds refocused on defense, along with extending to a 3/4 court press and slowed down the Bruins running game to build a lead. Villa and Uluilakepa repeatedly broke down the Mountain View defense, either driving to the goal or finding good shot for their teammates in a 14-3 run to open the third quarter.

“We had a different starting lineup tonight (with Uluiakepa, who had been coming off the bench). So we went small because we knew they (Mountain View) were going to play fast and we wanted to play fast, too.” Ingle said. “Taki and Quezon got to the rim and we got a lot of good shots.”

Uluiakepa scored six points in the run as Timpview took a 64-53 lead with four minutes to go in the third. A strong follow shot by Colton Smith gave the T-Birds a 75-60 lead heading into the fourth.

St. Clair scored and later fed Rust for an alley-oop dunk for an 81-62 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Mountain View found some offense to cut into that lead but Villa and Uluilakepa controlled the ball and continued to find open shots to keep Timpview on top.

The T-Birds, off to slow start this year due to youth, injuries, illness and the transition from football to basketball, have now won four games in a row.

“I love where we are,” Ingle said. “I always tell our guys that when you’re green (young), you’re growing and when you’re ripe, you’re rotting. So we knew it was going to take a little bit of time and we have a lot of momentum.”

Mountain View (3-6 Region 8, 5-15 overall) host the region co-leader Lehi on Friday. Timpview (6-3, 13-7) plays at the other team at the top of the region, Alta, on Friday.

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