4A boys high school basketball: Bountiful advances to quarterfinals with easy win

WEST VALLEY CITY — The last time these two teams met, Bountiful escaped with a two-point victory. Cottonwood fans were licking their chops when they saw they were matched up with a second shot at stunning the Braves. Not so fast. Bountiful came out with a suffocating defensive attack to assure that the Colts wouldn't be the Seabiscuit of the first round with a 70-44 victory.

Led by senior Jeff Moncur, the Braves forced 11 first quarter turnovers to jump out to a 21-4 lead after the first eight minutes. Cottonwood's first field goal finally came at 2:05 left in the first quarter after six minutes of frustration.

"It's defense," said Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell. "It's always been defense with this team, we're not an offensive juggernaut."

Nonetheless, it was the perfect first half from a determined team. The Braves executed their offense almost at will, shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Cottonwood lacked an answer for big man Sean Carey.

Carey, whose nickname is "popcorn" referencing his ability to jump out of the gym, was a presence on both ends of the court. With Carey in the midst of his 17 point, seven rebound night, Cottonwood was forced to switch to a 2-3 zone, allowing Bountiful to fire away from downtown.

Cottonwood, deprived of a ton of playoff experience, eventually shook off the jitters and sloppy play and started playing like a team that actually deserved to be on the same court. Behind Jake Nelson, the Colts were only outscored by only eight points the rest of the game.

Whether it was diving for loose balls, boxing out for defensive rebounds or running the fast break, the Braves battled hard despite the lopsided score.

"We talk about not being a hero. It's about the team. We're in the position to win, that comes from discipline and doing what your told," said Maxwell.

That's exactly what they'll need to take advantage of as the road is guaranteed to get rougher. With the win Bountiful earned a date with Mountain View in the 4A quarterfinals Thursday at 4 p.m. at the E Center.

"Mountain View is a terrific team. They've got Dalrymple comin' off the bench who just lights up 3's," said Maxwell, "They have kids who can penetrate and shoot, we gotta figure out how to beat these guys, its gonna be a tough match up."

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