From Deseret News archives:
Lehi guards club Cavemen
With Brett Allred and Ben Walker towering at 6-feet 7-inches each, they are an intimidating combo. The Pioneers, however, play much more than a big man's game. Even though it was the big two that did most of the damage in a 25-point third quarter that vaulted the Pioneers to a 67-60 win over the neighboring American Fork Cavemen, Lehi's guards played just as big of role in the preseason victory.
"It was a good team effort," said Walker, who poured in a career-high 26 points. "When we play together like this we can beat anybody."
With Allred and Walker in early foul trouble, guards Drew Robinson and Alex Allred car- ried most of the first-half load. Behind two outside bombs by Alex Allred and another trey by Robinson, the Pioneers marched out to a 17-8 lead after a period. Despite a late second-quarter charge by the Cavemen, Lehi's guards kept the Pioneers ahead by four at halftime. The backcourt scored 19 of Lehi's 27 first-half points.
"Drew played great, Alex played great and Dan (Gray) played great," Walker said.
But it was Walker's third-quarter explosion that put the dagger in the Cavemen. Coming out fresh in the third quarter, the lanky leaper scored five straight baskets as the Pioneers stormed out to a 20-point lead. Walker's follow-up dunk on a missed layup gave him 14 points in the quarter.
"I knew I had that kind of game in me, I've just been waiting for it to come out," Walker said. "Coach told us at halftime to step it up, that we could play better, and we did."
Brett Allred, who played less than a minute in the first half, did his part too. The senior center nailed four baskets in the third period to give Lehi's front line 22 of the Pioneers' 25 points in the quarter.
American Fork started the game like the players had been eating movie theater popcorn during warm-ups. The butter-fingered Cavemen couldn't hang on to the ball or knock down an open jumper in the first quarter. The same held true for the third quarter.
But after falling behind by as many as 23 points early in the fourth quarter, the Cavemen finally did what they do best — play defense. Behind an intense full-court press, American Fork flustered Lehi and forced the Pioneers into several backcourt turnovers.
Senior guard Brenan Davis warmed up by sinking three 3-pointers in the quarter as the Cavemen clawed back to within 11 with only two minutes remaining. Two more baskets by American Fork in the final 20 seconds trimmed the lead to seven, but fortunately for Lehi time ran out on the comeback effort.
