Pioneers defeat Emery in 2 OTs

LEHI — Drew Robinson is the floor general of the Lehi boys basketball team.

When he is struggling with his shot, he finds other ways to make the team better.

On Tuesday, against Region 8 rival Emery, he scored 10 points from the free throw line, all coming in the fourth quarter and overtime periods to lead Lehi to a 73-71 double-overtime win.

In the second overtime, he hit eight-of-nine free throws.

When Robinson wasn't hitting his free throws, he was getting the ball to 6-foot-7 center Ben Walker and Alex Allred.

Allred led Lehi with a team high 21 points while Walker scored 20 and came up with key rebounds and blocks to give Lehi an opportunity to send the game into overtime.

"He keeps his composure and doesn't get upset," Lehi coach Craig Gladwell said about his point guard. "His shot may not be going down, but he tries to get the ball to the right guy at the right time. It is hard to teach something like that. With a kid like that directing us, it helps."

Lehi certainly needed Allred and Walkers scoring along with Robinson's floor leadership to offset Emery's Bowie Jeffs game-high 41 -points, 29 coming in regulation.

"It was an amazing shooting night," Gladwell said. "We were right in his face a lot of times. I don't know how you guard him any better."

Lehi trailed 53-47 with 3:33 left in regulation following a Jeffs' 3-pointer. The Pioneers then tied the game at 57 with 48 seconds left in the game following two free throws by Allred.

"If you're down six points coming down the wire, the worst thing you can do is panic and throw up quick shots," Gladwell said. "We made sure we got shots we wanted and we got a couple of big offensive rebounds during that time."

Jeffs had an opportunity to win the game for Emery in regulation but missed a runner in the lane.

In the first overtime, Allred hit a three with 1:44 left to give Lehi a 62-59 lead. It was Lehi's first lead since the first quarter.

But Jeffs quickly followed with a three of his own to tie the game and send it into a second overtime, where Lehi pulled away.