3A boys basketball: Defense, free throws win championship for Wasatch

SALT LAKE CITY — Winning a state championship can be as simple as playing defense and making free throws, and Wasatch does both better than anybody.

Despite suffering through arguably their worst offensive performance of the season in Saturday's 3A state championship at the Huntsman Center, the Wasps were able to persevere thanks to their best defensive performance of the year.

"It's a broken record to the guys, but offense sells tickets and defense wins championship. I truly believe that, and I know my players believe in that," said Wasatch coach Norm Hayter.

The proof is in the titles, and Wasatch has plenty of those.

Wasatch held Morgan to 37 points below its season average, and then knocked down 14-of-16 free throws in the fourth quarter to pull away for the 44-33 victory at the Huntsman Center — its second consecutive title and sixth in school history.

"This was a lot harder than the first time. To win back to back, you have that target. Everyone is giving you their best game throughout the season. You have your highs and lows, and you've got to stay focused as a team," said Hayter. "These guys showed a lot of maturity and a lot of focus all season."

Morgan's 33-point night was its lowest of the season. It was also the fewest points allowed by Wasatch, as it limited the Trojans to 26 percent shooting and 3-of-16 from 3-point range.

Wasatch struggled just as much offensively, and found itself in a dogfight, only leading 32-30 with 3:09 remaining in the game. That's when it began to pull away from the free-throw line as Mike Brown, McKay Murdock and Alex Probst combined on 14 straight makes to put the game away.

"We've been known to be a good free-throw shooting team because we practice a lot," said Brown, who finished with a game-high 18 points.

Brown's coach said it's not uncommon for guys like Brown or Murdock to make 96 or 97 out of 100 free throws in practice.

Long before free-throw shooting sealed the title, Wasatch's defense did the damage. It forced Morgan into three straight turnovers to start the game, and six by the end of the quarter. By halftime, the Trojans had committed nine and they finished with 16.

Morgan's troubles had a lot to do with Wasatch's tempo.