5A boys high school basketball: Knights take charge early, defeat Miners

WEST VALLEY CITY — When you're trying to upset the top-ranked team in 5A basketball, a team that's also going for three straight state titles, letting that team score almost at will in the first quarter is not a good way to get the job done.

On the other hand, if you're trying to reaffirm yourself as a basketball dynasty, reaching the championship game with a convincing win is a very good way to get the doubters' attention and the momentum on your side.

Such was the story Friday night at the E Center as Lone Peak quickly doused any hopes the Bingham Miners had of pulling off the upset when the Knights finished the opening quarter on a 22-2 run en route to a dominating 66-46 semifinal victory.

"We were ready to play, there's no doubt," Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis said.

Bingham took a 4-2 lead early, but once the shots started falling for Lone Peak, they didn't seem to stop. The Knights finished the first half making 14-of-24 shots, a clip of 58 percent, while the Miners made only 8-of-24.

Lone Peak scored nine straight to go up 11-4. Then, after a Bingham basket by Ben Clifford, the Knights rolled off 13 more in a row to finish the first quarter leading 24-6.

Lewis felt the Miners were trying to make Lone Peak's guards prove they could beat them, and that's exactly what the Knight guards did. Tyler Haws had three baskets in the first-quarter run and Tommy Tebbs hit a key 3-pointer, but senior guard Dillon Smith did most of the damage by drilling three treys in a 2-minute span.

"This kid, he's been there. And he's not going to be intimidated by a situation," Lewis said of Smith, who played a significant role in Lone Peak's two previous state-title runs.

As good as Lone Peak's offense was, its defense was just as key. The Knights had 12 steals and forced Bingham into 15 turnovers. The result was eight fast-break points for Lone Peak and 16 points off turnovers. Lone Peak also owned the boards, outrebounding Bingham 36-29.

"I think it was a combination of us playing very well, and them missing a few shots early and getting down," Lewis said.

The Knights led 36-18 at halftime and stretched that lead to 22 at one point in the third, but Bingham didn't exactly go away quietly. With a basket by Clifford and a hook shot by Remington Peck, the Miners closed to 46-34 late in the third.

Lone Peak, however, deflated the Miners for good when Nate Austin hit back-to-back put-backs to finish the period and push the Knights' lead back to 50-34. Smith then opened the final quarter with his fourth 3-pointer, and he followed that up with a steal and layup to make the margin 21 points.