Lehi boys basketball locks down Riverton, advances to 6A semifinals
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- Lehi’s Bryson Bromley (3) defends in a 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game against Riverton at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s Cooper Lewis, right, goes in for a layup against Riverton in a 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Players on the Lehi bench signal a 3-point make in a 6A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Riverton at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s Gabe Cowan (5) flies under the backboard after a successful dunk in a 6A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s Greyson Brousseau (33) takes a shot against Riverton in the 6A boys basketball state quarterfinals at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s Gabe Cowan (5) dunks the ball during a 6A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Riverton at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi students react during a 6A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Riverton at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s Gabe Cowan (5) goes up for a shot against Riverton in the 6A boys basketball quarterfinals at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi’s starters (from left) Cooper Lewis, Easton Hawkins, Gabe Cowan, Bryson Bromley and Greyson Brousseau wait for introductions before the start of a 6A boys basketball quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Lehi boys basketball coach Quincy Lewis, right, reacts during a 6A state quarterfinal game against Riverton on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
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- Riverton’s Zach Edwards (23) goes up for a shot while Lehi’s Cooper Lewis defends in a 6A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
Anyone who has faced the No. 2-seeded Lehi boys basketball team during the 2023-24 season knows just how dangerous the Pioneers can be from long range.
Monday’s 6A quarterfinal game against No. 7-seed Riverton at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, however, was not Lehi’s best shooting performance. The Pioneers took 26 3-pointers and made just five (19.2%).
Lehi needed to find another way to get past the Silverwolves. The outside shots might not have been locked in but fortunately for the Pioneers, the defense was.
“The main thing we had to rely on was defense,” Lehi senior Easton Hawkins said. “Our defensive scheme was killer. That’s what we’re always relying on and focus on going into a game. It’s just defense because we can’t control whether our shots are going in or not. We can control our energy and how hard we play on defense. That’s how we win.”
The Pioneers kept Riverton from finding an offensive rhythm for much of the game, which allowed Lehi to pull away to get the comfortable 70-49 victory and advance to the 6A semifinals.
“This game was about our defense,” Pioneer head coach Qunicy Lewis said. “We scored 70 points but we really didn’t shoot very well from the 3-point line. But we guarded, we got them out of their stuff and we got out in transition a little bit.”
Hawkins said he felt like there were signs from the beginning of the game that his squad was going to play well defensively.
“Right from the jump in the first quarter we played a very good defense,” Hawkins said. “We only allowed six points. In the second quarter, we kind of fell off a little bit on the defensive end. In the third quarter, you could just feel a change of pace as we just started defending and getting in the passing lanes.”
On the offensive side, Lewis said it was key for his team to not just continue to launch from downtown when those shots weren’t dropping.
“You have to make some adjustments,” Lewis said. “You’ve got to get to the rim, particularly if teams are guarding you close.”
With Lehi shooting poorly and the Silverwolves having a tough time getting its offense going, it wasn’t too surprising that the Pioneer lead was just 39-33 midway through the third quarter.
But that was when Lehi got a break when Riverton got frustrated with a call and was assessed a technical foul.
Pioneer junior Cooper Lewis calmly stepped up and drained both foul shots, then junior Easton Hawkins made a layup and was fouled. Hawkins hit the free throw and just like that the Lehi lead nearly doubled.
“We knew Cooper was going to make the free throws, and then we had to execute on offense right there,” Hawkins said. “That can be a big momentum change and we needed it right there.”
The Pioneers capitalized on the boost, using that sequence as part of a 20-2 run that gave Lehi a comfortable cushion.
“I thought we were just a little too amped up,” Quincy Lewis said. “I thought that that gave us a little breathing room and we were able to just execute just a couple plays right there. Once we got the lead to double figures, it was just a matter of time.”
Cooper Lewis paced Lehi with 28 points, including making all 10 shots from the charity stripe, while senior Grayson Brousseau scored 13 points and Hawkins had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
Riverton’s Zach Edwards had a good game, notching 17 points to lead the way, but no other Silverwolf play was in double figures. Quincy Lewis lauded how Hawkins spent much of the game shutting down Riverton’s Ben Barrus, who didn’t score.
“We did a good job of guarding the perimeter players and not letting them get 3-point shots because that’s really that team’s strength,” Quincy Lewis said.
The Silverwolves ended up making just 3-of-16 from beyond the arc (18.8%) while shooting just 33.3% (16-of-48) from the field overall.
With the win, the Pioneers (21-4) kept their title dreams alive as they prepare to face No. 3-seed Herriman (who beat No. 6-seed Davis in their quarterfinal on Monday) in the 6A semifinals on Wednesday.
That game is scheduled to take place at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday at 8:40 p.m.
Box score
Riverton (17-8)
Edwards 17, Berrett 9, Allred 9, Johnson 8, Haniger 4, Kerekes 2. Totals 16 14-16 49.
Lehi (21-4)
Lewis 28, Brousseau 13, Hawkins 12, Cowan 9, Shewell 5, Moore 3. Totals 23 19-20 70.
Riverton 6 21 8 14 — 49
Lehi 12 23 17 18 — 70
3-pointers: Riverton 3 (Allred 2, Berrett); Lehi 5 (Lewis 2, Hawkins, Shewell, Moore).
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