High school basketball: Goldsmith helps Jordan scoot past Cottonwood

SALT LAKE CITY — When the going gets tough, the Jordan Beetdiggers go to Kevin Goldsmith.

That was never more evident Saturday night, when Goldsmith rescued the Beetdiggers in the 5A boys basketball tournament first round game. He scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half as Jordan edged Cottonwood, 52-49.

"I said, 'get the ball into Goldsmith's hands,' " said Jordan coach Rob Geertsen. "I don't care who shoots the ball, but it had better go through Goldsmith."

Goldsmith is Jordan's leading scorer, averaging 18.3 points per game. He wasn't as much of a factor in the first half but teamed with sharpshooter Joe Mero (15 points) and center Nate Monson (11) to send the Diggers toward a second-round tournament matchup at Davis on Tuesday night.

"It's good to get a state tournament win," said Geertsen, whose team improved to 14-8 overall and ended a four-game losing streak. "We're a confident team. We've won away from home several times (6) this year. We have our swagger back."

Cottonwood ended the year with a 10-11 mark. The Colts were the No. 3 seed from Region 2, and showed a lot more ability than the team that fell to Jordan 58-49 earlier this season.

Both coaches agreed this was a competitive game that could have gone either way.

It wasn't decided until Colts guard Raymond Chavez's 3-pointer missed with 8 seconds left. There was considerable contact between Chavez and a Jordan defender on the play, but the officials chose not to make a call.

"That wasn't necessarily the shot we wanted, but I trust Ray," said Cottonwood coach Dave McConnell. "He made 108 free throws for us last year. If they (the officials) make that call, he could have made them."

Both teams shot over 50 percent. Cottonwood was led by Korbin Dooley's 16 points. Dooley and Parker Vassau also had a couple of 3-pointers as the Colts made 6-of-13 from long range.

Several of those treys came in the fourth quarter, when Cottonwood needed them to combat Goldsmith's scoring.

Goldsmith was on fire early in the period. He scored three straight baskets to give Jordan a 44-37 lead. The 6-foot-3 senior wasn't the biggest guy on the court, but his smooth, fluid motion found holes in Cottonwood's defense that often resulted in layups.

The final minute was played at a hectic pace and included a layup by Cottonwood's Arlin Smith that cut Jordan's lead to 50-49. Mero made a couple of important free throws to give the Diggers a three-point margin and set up the show's final act.

Mero shot 5 of 14 from the field, but made three treys and was a constant threat from the perimeter. The senior has been ill for a while, but has recovered enough to play a big role in this win.

Cottonwood, on the other hand, played without senior forward Vlad Malugin, who was injured Friday and unavailable for the game. Malugin had been averaging 11.5 ppg over the last four games.