HIGHLAND — It's back to business for the Mountain View girls basketball team.
The Bruins are now in sole possession of the No. 1 spot in Region 4 as usual after defeating Lone Peak 62-54 in the Knights' gym.
The Knights took charge early in the game, making it appear the Bruins were in jeopardy of losing their second game to a Utah team this season. An 18-4 Lone Peak run led to a 20-9 lead with less than a minute remaining in the first period, but the Knights wouldn't score again until four minutes had elapsed in the second quarter.
During that time, the Bruins went on one of their unstoppable runs, ignited by an Erica Eyestone 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter. That shot spurred a 17-0 run by Mountain View and gave the Bruins a 26-20 lead, which they never surrendered.
"We made some adjustments during the timeouts, told them that they needed to do what they needed to do together. We've been stressing that the girls need to play as a team. No matter what happens on the floor, we want them to go as a team," said Mountain View coach Laura Romo.
And during that run the Bruins were definitely a team on both ends of the court. In addition to Eyestone's first-half trey, Maylene Ornelas drained two from long distance, and Michelle Harrison added one.
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Ornelas led both teams with 18 points and led the Bruins' attack with her all-out hustle.
"Maylene just wants to play hard and be successful. She doesn't know any other speed than fast," said Romo. "She's growing a lot and making better decisions."
The Bruins did allow Lone Peak's leading scorer Caitlyn Sears to get her shot working in the second quarter, and the Knight went into the locker room as the leading scorer on both teams with 10 points, including two of her three 3-pointers. But then Michelle Harrison took Sears over on defense, and the star only scored three more points in the entire contest, finishing with 13.
Harrison drained 15 points in the game, but appeared a little frustrated at times when her shots weren't falling.
Romo took Harrison out a couple of times for a short conversation. "I just told Michelle to relax. Sometimes she thinks she has to take everything on her shoulders and presses a little bit. She just needs to remember just to let the game come to her."
And though her offense might not have come as easily as Harrison would have liked, her defense was impressive throughout.
Alyssa Olsen came off the bench to add nine points for the Bruins, and Eyestone sank nine of her own. Mari Larsen was the only other Knight in double figures with 10, but teammates Shannon Harmer and Amanda Farish each finished with nine.
While the Bruins moved to 7-1 in league competition, the Knights fell to 4-4 after a big victory over Timpanogos on Feb. 3.
"We have great teams in this league," said Romo of Region 4. "Every game is a battle every night. I think basketball in Utah County has gone up a notch."