Third-quarter drought costs Wasatch girls basketball shot at 5A title game
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- Wasatch senior Peyton Behnke goes up for a shot during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch junior Filifaiesea Liava’a battles for a loose ball during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch sophomore Mahala Speredon goes up for a layup during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch senior Sicily Clark dribbles up the court during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch players watch during the final minutes of the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch junior Filifaiesea Liava’a shoots a 3-pointer during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Wasatch senior Sicily Clark shoots a shot during the 5A semifinal game against Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
The No. 2-seed Wasatch girls basketball team knew coming into Wednesday’s 5A semifinal game against No. 3-seed Bountiful at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City that it needed to play well to have a shot at defeating the same Redhawks team that beat it in the 5A title game in 2024.
And the Wasps did just that … for about three quarters.
The other eight minutes, however, proved to be disastrous for Wasatch.
Bountiful used a big third-quarter run to triple the size of their six-point halftime lead and although the Wasps never quit, they couldn’t dig out of the hole and lost, 62-43.
“They had a much easier bracket than we had, so they were able to rest their players more, especially with back-to-back games,” Wasatch head coach Audrey Hull said. “I feel like in the third quarter our legs were tired, and that’s why we had so many shots fall short. Make some of those and we would have been right in there with them.”
Hull said that all year she knew she could count on her squad to fight through no matter the odds and they showed that to the end.
“I’ve always been really pleased with the way they battle,” Hull said. “They never disappoint. We might not be shooting great, but we always bring the intensity and the defense, the things we can control. They always battle. If we’re up, if we’re down, they play hard.”
All five Wasatch starters scored between six and nine points, with junior Filifaiesea Liava’a tallying nine points and junior Danielle Garner adding eight points and seven rebounds.
But Bountiful forward Taylor Harvey had another great game, pouring in 23 points to lead the way for the Redhawks.
Hull said that even though her team saw its season come to a close, they had a lot to be proud of as they grew as a group.
“The lessons learned are more important than championships won,” Hull said. “We had a great journey together. We had some really great times and some hard-fought battles and wins where we’ve been down and battled back. I wouldn’t trade this group of kids for a state championship. I would rather have this team and the journey that we had than any ring.”
The Wasps have elevated the expectations in Heber and now it falls to the underclassmen to maintain the traditions of success that have become the standard.
“We believe in the process, that the offseason is the time that you make your season,” Hull said. “The kids will need to get in individual work on their own, and then we’ll do some work with them as well in the offseason. We’ll bounce back and be ready to make another run.”
Bountiful advanced to face West in the 6A finals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday at 5 p.m.
