Orem boys basketball can’t withstand Brighton upset bid in 5A quarterfinals
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- The Orem boys basketball team reacts to losing a 5A state quarterfinal game against Brighton at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Chamberlain Burgess (24) dunks the ball in a 5A boys state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb, 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Chance Dastrup is fouled by a Brighton player in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Chance Dastrup (11) sails in for a layup against Brighton in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Chamberlain Burgess goes up for a shot against Brighton in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Simeon Suguturaga (left) and Trey Hiatt help teammate Ryker Mikkelsen to his feet during a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Brighton at the Huntsman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Jax Allen (2) goes up for a shot in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Brighton at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Ryker Mikkelsen takes a 3-pointer against Brighton in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Chamberlain Burgess (24) goes up for a shot against Brighton in a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- The Orem boys basketball team reacts to losing a 5A state quarterfinal game against Brighton at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem boys basketball coach Jace Tevita watches the action during a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal against Brighton at the Huntsman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem fans react during a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game against Brighton at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
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- Orem’s Jax Allen (left) and Troy Kaufusi go through a pre-game ritual during introductions before a 5A boys basketball state quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
Sometimes the bounces go your way … and sometimes they don’t.
The top-seeded Orem boys basketball team had that message driven home in Tuesday’s 5A quarterfinal game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City against No. 9-seed Brighton — and not in the way the Tigers wanted.
Orem erased a nine-point deficit and led 53-52 in the final minute, only to have two bounces go in favor of the Bengals resulting in Brighton getting the 55-53 upset.
“It was just one of those nights,” Tiger head coach Jace Tavita said. “You can get beat any night, and it happens. I’m just proud of our boys, of the season they’ve had.”
The first bounce came after Orem took the lead when Tiger senior Jax Allen made a layup and got fouled, tacking on the free throw to put his team in front by one.
On the ensuing Bengal possession, Brighton got the ball inside and dished it to where senior Creighton Evers was cutting to the basket.
His layup was a touch too long and hit the back of the iron, then bounced … and bounced again … and bounced one final time before dropping in to put the Bengals back ahead.
After an Orem turnover and a made foul shot by Brighton, the Tigers got the ball back with five seconds to play and no timeouts left.
Orem senior Chance Dastrup quickly brought the ball up and, as the Bengal defenders converged, lofted a pass to where junior Simeon Suguturaga was all alone slashing in fast on the far side of the basket.
Suguturaga grabbed the ball out of the air and hurriedly put it up off the board just before time expired — only to have the game-tying shot hit too strong, ricocheting off to miss on the other side of the rim and capping Brighton’s dramatic upset.
“It’s something that we’ve worked on for the end of games,” Tavita said. “Chance made a good pass to Simeon, and we had a shot to take the overtime. That’s all you can ask for in those situations. It was a good quality shot at the rim.”
The Tigers never seemed to truly get into a flow against the scrappy Bengals and Brighton took advantage, leading 25-16 late in the second quarter.
Orem came storming back with a 7-0 run and the game was close most of the rest of the way.
But the Tigers were dealt a tough blow when senior Ryker Mikkelsen had to hobble off the floor and be carried to the locker room late in the first half.
Orem always felt like it would come back and win but finally ran out of time and magic.
The Tigers were paced by Suguturaga, who had 15 points and nine rebounds. Allen added 10 points, while senior Chamberlain Burgess put in nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Brighton was led by 15 points apiece from Josh Mawhinney and Bradley Easton.
Although Orem came up short of its state championship goal, Tavita wants his guys to be proud of their season and how the came together.
“One thing about this group of kids, especially the five seniors, is that they did everything that we asked of them,” Tavita said. “They showed up with the right attitude, all sacrificing for each other. I love kids like that who sacrifice for the team.”
He hopes that the Tiger underclassmen who will be coming back will have the same work ethic and determination that this group of seniors had.
“You just got to work hard and enjoy the experience because when it’s done, it’s done,” Tavita said. “It goes by so fast and you never know when your last game is going to be. So they need to work hard and just enjoy the grind of it.”
Brighton advanced to face Highland in the 5A semifinals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday at 7:20 p.m.
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