How will Timpview boys basketball respond after 5A semifinal loss?
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- Timpview players huddle up before the start of the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Dean Rueckert dunks the ball during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Callen Tollestrup goes up for a layup during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Dean Rueckert drives to the basket during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Dean Rueckert drives to the basket during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview head coach Izzy Ingle directs his team during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Will Openshaw dunks the ball during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Will Openshaw battles for a loose ball during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview junior Will Openshaw goes up for the jump ball during the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview players warm up before the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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- Timpview players warm up before the 5A semifinal game against Olympus at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
To say that the Timpview boys basketball team wasn’t pleased with its performance in Wednesday’s 5A semifinal loss to Olympus is probably an understatement.
The Thunderbirds fell behind early to the hot-shooting Titans and never truly threatened the rest of the way in the blowout loss.
“They shot extremely well,” Timpview head coach Izzy Ingle said. “That’s how a game like that could get away from you. They shot 70% for three in the first half, going 7-for-10, while we were like 2-for-13. If that flips, it’s a completely different game. But they were well-prepared for that game and we weren’t, but we were still getting good looks.”
It was frustrating that on the biggest stage to that point, no one could find the rhythm the team needed to get going.
“We have had nights where maybe one or two guys are a little bit off, but the other two or three step up,” Ingle said. “But tonight I don’t know if anybody really shot super well.”
But while the way the season ended was disheartening, the entire Thunderbird team will be back.
“It’s tough that the last game didn’t go so well for us, but we love our players,” Ingle said. “They’re really good basketball players and they’re amazing young men. It was a really good year. We beat three teams that were ranked in the Top 25 and the No. 2 team in the country. We had a lot of really good things happen this year.
“We don’t have a senior in our group, so if everybody comes back bigger, stronger and a little bit better, we’ll be back.”
With a nucleus that includes juniors Dean Rueckert, Will Openshaw, Aisa Galeai, Mason Ford, Jackson Palmer, Lincoln Holcombe and Callen Tollestrup, Ingle has a lot of talent and experience to work with for the 2025-26 season.
He expects the Timpview athletes to not put Wednesday’s loss behind them but use it as fuel for the future.
“Maybe we use this as a little bit of motivation in the offseason to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Ingle said. “Our guys work hard. They’ll be fired up and they’ll use this. We’ll be back and better next year.”
Olympus 76, Timpview 58
14-of-24 vs. 4-of-19.
Those were the 3-point shooting numbers for the Olympus and Timpview boys basketball teams in Wednesday night’s 5A semifinals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, they weren’t the team who made 14 bombs from behind the arc.
The Titans put on a passing and shooting clinic, consistently getting and making wide-open 3-pointers while Timpview had no answers in the 76-58 Olympus win.
The Thunderbirds fell behind by 17 in the first half but scored seven straight to end the second quarter and appeared to have some momentum going into halftime.
But the Titans got a couple of big offensive rebounds that turned into 3-pointers while Timpview started the third quarter with two missed 3-pointers and a turnover.
The Thunderbirds were paced by 18 points from junior Tallen Tollestrup while junior Dean Rueckert had 14 points.
Olympus got 22 points from Gavin Lowe, who was one of four players in double figures and one of the five starters who all hit 3-pointers.
The Titans advance to play Highland in the 5A state finals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
