Miners finish with best 5A defense

SOUTH JORDAN — Success can be measured in many ways, but for the Bingham Miners girls basketball team, this year was a success no matter what measurement you use.

"I think we had a great season," said coach Rand Rasmussen. "I think we made some progress . . . I'm really quite surprised we did as well as we did with no seniors and only two players with tournament experience. I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed it didn't last two games longer."

The Miners lost in the semifinal round to eventual state champion Skyline. Bingham finished the season ranked fourth, and it shared the Region 2 title with Riverton. The Miners also finished statistically the best defensive team in 5A, something Rasmussen is very proud of. The young players in blue and black made a lot of progress in terms of skills and in terms of mental development.

"We had kids coming into the program who didn't know how it worked," Rasmussen said. "Now they know how the program works, they've gone through weight training, practices, watching 'Hoosiers' at my house, the hair-braiding . . . I think we become better the minute the banquet is over in April."

The team was led by a talented group of players who all gained experience about how to win games, how to be a good teammate and how to uphold the Miners' long-standing traditions.

Junior forward Megan Marks and junior guard Stephanie Sampson provided most of the team's inside-outside leadership. Marks' presence in the middle helped the Miners because it changed the way teams approached guarding them in the paint. Sampson's outside shooting and floor leadership in the state tournament helped the Miners defeat Fremont and Taylorsville in the first two rounds.

Freshman point guard Nicole Yazzie gained confidence as she went from a talented shooter to a true point guard this season. Juniors Jessica Palmer and Lexe Jacobs both improved and helped the Miners at different times this year. Junior Cami Hymas developed into one of the state's best defenders and a solid rebounder despite being undersized against most of the competition.

Sophomore Erica Newbold developed into a key rebounder and showed she can really turn on the offense when needed in a few of the Miners' tight games, including their preseason meeting with Layton.

"I'm really happy with our season," Rasmussen said. Eight of his players will continue to hone their skills this summer playing on Utah Sky Club basketball team.