Guard gives Wasatch boost in win over Judge

When other teenagers are heading to the pool in the summer, Kelsi Remund's friends find her in the gym.

"She's the hardest working player on our team," said teammate Brittany Berg of Wasatch High's point guard after she led her team to a 38-27 victory over region-rival Judge. "Even in the summer, she's in the gym, working on her shot, practicing her moves."

That extra time on the court paid off for the Wasps Friday night as they held off a hungry Judge team. Remund finished with 16 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals, but Wasatch coach Roger Pyper said it wasn't just the second-leading scorer in 3A.

"I think it was our big kids that made the difference tonight," Pyper said of the second-ranked Wasps. "This game was won in the first half. We jumped out to about a 10-point lead and that was the difference at the end."

Berg added 10 points to Remund's, but it was the defensive play of both teams that was really fun to watch. Pyper wasn't so sure it was always great defense that caused missed shots or intercepted passes.

"That was a little ugly," he said shaking his head. "This is just the hardest place to play in the state - for us anyway."

Bulldog coach Mary Chris Ledbetter found shutting down Remund pretty difficult.

"I was very pleased with our defense," she said. "I think we responded well to Berg. She didn't score in the second half. But Remund, she just created all of her shots. She had to work for them, but she got them. The basket likes her. She's just everywhere; she's so quick and so hard to guard."

Kato Mayeda did a pretty good job for Judge, especially down the stretch.

"She took what I said to hear and went for it, took some chances," Ledbetter said. "She played great." Mayeda was the only Bulldog in double digits with 13 points. Judge had some great shots that just didn't fall, and then there was the 5-of-14 foul shooting.

"It's been a problem all year," Ledbetter said of the missed freethrows. "If we hit a few more shots, or more freethrows, it's a different game."Wasatch is also ranked in the top 20 girls teams in the state, and Berg said that makes every game a little more important.

"We were kind of nervous," she said. "The tension of playing our rival, and we have a big bulls-eye on our backs."

In other girls' games Friday:

REGION 1