High school girls basketball: Pleasant Grove girls start fast, down Timp

PLEASANT GROVE — There were a few unexpected twists and turns along the way for the Timpanogos and Pleasant Grove girls basketball teams as they played against each other for the first time this season.

In Region 4 circles people are thinking these are the two teams that will be vying for the third and final playoff position this year. But this game was a little different meeting than either team would have expected at the beginning of the season.

First, the Timpanogos Timberwolves were without all-everything center Morgan Bailey, who had to sit out due to coach's decision for the second time in two games. Bailey will return Friday when the T-Wolves go up against the mighty American Fork Cavemen. And the team will be happy to have her back after the team lost its second straight region game without her, this one 68-51.

Without Bailey in the lineup, the T-Wolves took their knocks early and often as the Vikings rushed out to a 23-1 lead in the first quarter.

"Every team has a run in a game. Ours happened to be then. I've seen teams come back from deficits like that," said Pleasant Grove coach Glenn Larson.

But instead of the Vikings' inside game being the catalyst for the huge early lead, it was the unheralded and oft-criticized guard play that was a big reason Pleasant Grove found itself up by so much. Danyele Hoffman picked up five of her six first-half steals in the first quarter and added all 12 of her points to the scoreboard in the first eight minutes. She went down midway through the fourth period after falling hard on her face, but is slated to return to play on Friday.

The inside team did come to play after Hoffman's initial burst, and Ana Finau led all scorers with 21 points while adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jennifer Hamson recorded her own double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. She was also instrumental in getting the ball to Finau for many of her game-leading total points with seven assists.

"Jenn doesn't care if she scores. She just wants to win. She's always doubled and tripled and loves to fight for her teammates," said Larson.

But in spite of the great early play by Hoffman and then the more expected inside play from Finau, Hamson, and Katie Mitchell, who also doubled up on the scoreboard with 10 points, Timpanogos hung tough.

One bright spot the T-Wolves came away from the game with was that after that first quarter debacle, they actually outscored the Vikings 50-45 the rest of the way despite playing without Bailey.

"It was a good thing we got that start," said Larson, who made reference to pulling his hair out and finding some grays after the game.

Sophomore Alexa Anderson led the Timberwolves with 15 points in the contest, while plenty of balance backed her up. Megan Riggs and Lissy Bingham each dropped in eight, while Marissa Nimmer added seven and Jessica Fisher finished with six in the effort.

Pleasant Grove will take on Lone Peak Friday in its next Region 4 action while Timpanogos must face American Fork.

Pleasant Grove is perfect at 2-0 so far in league play, while the Timberwolves fell to 0-2 after the loss.

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