Not this time: Wasatch girls basketball avenges earlier loss, beats Timpview
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- Wasatch players celebrate a big shot during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Wasatch senior Ashley Garner shoots a shot during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview senior Aiaiaga Galea’i shoots a shot during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Wasatch sophomore Fili Liava’a shoots a shot during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview junior Lina Ballin passes the ball during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Wasatch players play defense during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview junior Claire Burningham drives to the basket during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Wasatch junior Peyton Behnke shoots a 3-pointer during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview sophomore Livia Eyre shoots a 3-pointer during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Wasatch sophomore Danielle Garner looks to pass the ball during the Region 7 game against Timpview in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview players celebrate a made shot during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
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- Timpview head coach Haley Steed watches the action during the Region 7 game against Wasatch in Heber on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
As the final minute of Tuesday’s monumental Region 7 girls basketball battle wound down, Wasatch could almost taste victory.
And how sweet it would be for the Wasps to avenge their only league loss (a 57-50 defeat to the Thunderbirds in Provo at the beginning of January).
There was one problem, though … the determine Timpview squad refused to go away.
Aided by a few missed free throws from Wasatch, the T’Birds used a 3-pointer by junior Lina Ballin and a bank shot from senior Taya Cravens to trim the Wasp lead to 61-59. Timpview was forced to foul with 11.6 seconds left.
Wasatch made the first foul shot, but the second bounced out and suddenly the Thunderbirds had the ball with a chance to tie.
“We just had to make sure we were out on their main shooters,” Wasp senior forward Ashley Garner said. “We had to trust in our teammates, and we had to know that if it went into overtime we could trust each other and come back.”
Ballin raced down the court and started to shoot, only to have the opening closed down beautifully by a Wasatch defender. She was forced to pass the ball to Cravens for a desperation shot as time expired, but it came up short.
That meant that Garner and the Wasps could finally savor the 62-59 victory and sole possession of first place in Region 7.
“We knew this was a game we had to come back and win because we lost last time,” Garner said. “It was so intense and exciting out there.”
Wasatch head coach Audrey Hull echoed Garner’s sentiment, saying the main thing she felt when the horn sounded was relief.
“We did not want to go to overtime,” Hull said. “We knew we had to go out and play defense. We lost to Timpview before, so we were hungry for this one.”
The Wasps had good reason to be apprehensive about Timpview’s shooting. The Thunderbirds used outside shots to score points in bunches, knocking down 10 in the game.
But Wasatch countered by pounding the ball inside where Garner was nearly unstoppable, pouring in 25 points to lead all scorers.
“Ashley is always a difference maker for us,” Hull said. “Most of the time, she’s our leading scorer but she also leads us in rebounds and she works as hard on defense as on offense. She is a great athlete and so she always makes it tough on teams.”
Garner said she knew the team wanted the win badly and she was just working to do her part.
“They got the ball inside to me and I just kept putting it in,” Garner said. “It was so nice.”
Timpview head coach Haley Steed credited Garner for playing a great game but said she wasn’t pleased with her team’s defense in the paint.
“She’s really good on the block,” Steed said. “She’s strong. I felt like we just we didn’t play her the way that we wanted to. But credit to her and credit to Wasatch. They’re tough. They’re physical.”
She was, however, pleased with how her athletes refused to fold when Wasatch took control in the final period.
“I liked the girls’ competitiveness tonight,” Steed said. “I thought we fought and battled. It looked like it might get out of hand there for a minute but we battled back, so I was proud of us.”
She said that while she wished she had had a timeout to get things organized, she trusted Ballin to make something happen in the final seconds. It just didn’t go in favor of the Thunderbirds.
“In those situations, we want the ball in Lina’s hands,” Steed said. “But obviously they knew that too and double-teamed her. I think she made the right pass but that’s a tough situation.”
The Wasps also got a big game from sophomore Fili Liava’a, who tallied 18 points.
“Fili had an incredible game as well,” Hull said. “She kind of got us going from the get-go. But really it was a team effort from everyone.”
Timpview was paced by 15 points (including three 3-pointers) from freshman Leah Atuaia. Ballin added 12 and sophomore forward Livia Eyre tacked on 10.
Garner said Tuesday’s win highlighted who this Wasatch team is.
“It’s a new team with not a lot of players who played varsity before,” Garner said. “It makes it so much more fun to come out and know this team is so connected, that it loves each other on and off the court.”
She believes that as long as the Wasps continue to play with great teamwork, they have a chance to do big things this season.
Both Hull and Steed viewed the close game against an excellent opponent as valuable experience that they hope will pay dividends in the big games to come in the next few weeks.
“Hopefully that gives us confidence because I thought we played better together as a team down the stretch,” Hull said. “In other games we may have gotten panicky and had single players trying to do too much. They love their teammates and they have confidence in them.”
Wasatch (16-3) next welcomes Cedar Valley to Heber on Feb. 2, while Timpview (14-4) heads home to host Springville on the same evening.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m.
Timpview boys basketball roll to big win at Wasatch
The Thunderbirds proved to be too much for the Wasps, even on the road. Timpview surged to a big lead and cruised to the 71-50 victory
Timpview (13-5) next heads home to host Springville on Feb. 2, while Wasatch (8-10) welcomes Cedar Valley to Heber on the same evening.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
