Knights avoid upset

PLEASANT GROVE — Lone Peak let Pleasant Grove hang around just long enough Tuesday night to give the Vikings a chance to put a blemish on the top-ranked Knights' perfect record.

But after the Vikings erased a 15-point second-half deficit to take a one-point lead in the final minute, Knights point guard Russ Jackson hit a tough leaning jump shot with 16 seconds remaining to keep Lone Peak undefeated.

"We're finding new ways to win, it seems like every game," Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis said following the 41-40 Region 7 victory.

Jackson, who had scored only three points prior to his game-winning basket, was trying to get the ball to senior Ben Wade for the final shot. But when Wade couldn't get open, Jackson saw an alley to the hoop and took it, stopping about eight feet away to bank in the game-winner over a Vikings defender.

"I saw a guy there and tried to go around him, but I also saw a little board there too so I put it up," Jackson said. "I thought it was going to go in and it did."

Pleasant Grove's final chance to win the game would have caused controversy had the Vikings' final shot gone in. Senior Landon Hallman, who led Pleasant Grove's comeback, was driving the middle with seconds left when he bounced the ball off his foot. During the ensuing scramble the timekeeper stopped the clock. When the Vikings finally came away with the loose ball the clock started again and Cody Bilbro missed a foul-line jumper at the buzzer.

"I don't think we played our best tonight, and we let a 15-point lead get away from us, and that's something we can't do," Jackson said. "But it's a big win for us."

Neither team shot the ball well, but Pleasant Grove shot worse for the first three quarters. The Vikings made only three field goals in the first quarter, and one in each of the second and third quarters. Lone Peak wasn't doing much better, but at least the Knights were getting some shots in close. The Knights' first five baskets came in the paint on layups.

Juniors Jackson Emery and Matt Bahr helped Lone Peak build an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter. Emery, who was cold from the outside, was effective attacking the basket. Bahr, starting his third straight game for the ill Cory Chase, was a force defensively and on the boards. Most of his 11 points came at crucial times and after an offensive rebound.

Lone Peak took what appeared to be an insurmountable lead after the Vikings' Jay Helquist fouled Emery on a break-away and was then called for a technical for taunting. When the Knights sank all four foul shots, they led by 15.

But the Vikings awoke from there. Nate Clement scored the final four points of the third period and then Hallman, who had pretty much been invisible for two quarters, scored six straight to cut the lead to 35-32. After Bahr hit two free throws, Hallman scored four more straight points. His basket with with one minute remaining cut the lead to one. Bilbro made two free throws with 30.8 seconds remaining, giving the Vikings their first lead since they led 4-2. But Jackson's final hoop ended Pleasant Grove's hopes of an upset win.

Emery led Lone Peak in scoring with 15. Hallman had a game-high 18.

---

E-mail: jimr@desnews.com