5A high school basketball: Fremont edges No. 1 Bingham in overtime

OGDEN — Fremont's Brock Smith didn't know any better.

When the sophomore grabbed an offensive rebound with 11 seconds remaining in overtime and his team leading by two, instincts took over and Smith went up with an eight-foot jumper in the lane. In that split second, Fremont coach Corey Melaney was agonizing in his mind that Smith didn't kick it out to midcourt to waste more time.

It turned out to be a brilliant decision. Smith drained the floater, and in the process punched Fremont's ticket to the 5A semifinals.

His shot put Fremont ahead 71-67, and it proved to be the game-winner when Bingham's Nate Girsberger buried a deep 3-pointer with four seconds remaining and his team out of timeouts. The No. 1 Miners were helpless to do anything as the final seconds ticked away on Fremont's thrilling 71-70 victory in the 5A quarterfinals at the Dee Events Center on Wednesday night.

"That's as good a game as I've been a part of," said Melaney.

Now the Region 1 co-champion Silver Wolves will face Region 4 champion Alta in the semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m.

It might not have been possible without Smith's heroics.

"I just thought that I was going to get it no matter what and tried to put it back in," said Smith, who finished with a game-high 11 rebounds and added 10 points.

In a tight game that featured nine ties and 14 lead changes, it's only fitting that Fremont's game-long dominance on the glass proved to be the difference. Smith's offensive rebound was Fremont's 13th of the game as it finished with a decided 40-23 edge in rebounding.

Fremont had five players score in double figures, led by 14 apiece from Patrick Fishburn and Corey Craynor. Ty Hannay led Bingham with 15 points in the loss.

With 1:04 remaining in regulation, Hannay made 1 of 2 free throws to put the Miners in front 60-59. Fremont's Smith missed a jumper on the other end, but in the scramble for the rebound Bingham starting point guard Shad Sommerville was whistled for his fifth foul.

Braxton Willie only partially capitalized tying the game at 60-60 by making 1 of 2 free throws with 40 seconds left, and Fremont dodged a bullet when Bingham missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

In overtime, Fremont scored four quick points to go ahead 64-60, but Bingham responded and took a 67-66 lead with 1:34 remaining on a three-point play by Ben Clifford.

Defensively, Fremont held Bingham's two leading scorers, Clifford and Sommerville, to 4-of-16 shooting and 15 combined points. It helped Fremont avenge a preseason loss at Bingham.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com