LEHI — Wasatch coach Audrey Hull emphasized every win being a “team” win, but it was hard for her to deny that the Wasps moved to 8-1 on Monday night largely because of one Ashley Garner.
There was little doubt that Garner was the best player on the court in opposing territory as the senior forward scored a season-high 24 points to help the Wasps beat Lehi 66-58.
Garner’s night was her third 20-plus performance of the season, and her impact loomed large in both the first few minutes of the game and in the late stages.
“She came to play. She was unstoppable. She hit the boards hard,” Hull said. “She’s been a great player for me ever since I started, and she’s improved every year, but man, she just had a phenomenal performance. Even though it was a team win, she really helped us get that.”
Garner’s impact in the paint not only dominated the Pioneers’ defense but also neutralized the effect of Lehi’s shooters.
Despite hitting eight 3-pointers as a team, Lehi played from behind the entire way as Wasatch kept scoring at will under the basket.
Garner, who is committed to the College of Southern Idaho, was backed up by a 12-point night from junior guard Payton Benkhe, while sophomore guard Filifaiesea Liava’a added 11 points.
Wasatch never trailed in the game after scoring on its opening possession as Garner put in the game’s first six points as part of a 12-0 run by the Wasps.
After Lehi managed to steady the boat, Wasatch carried an 18-11 advantage into the second quarter and kept the distance with a 32-24 halftime lead.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Wasps initially extended the advantage with a 7-2 run, entirely from Garner, to push the lead to 13 points.
Midway through the quarter, the Pioneers flipped the switch, largely from the efforts of senior guard and leading scorer Addy Scrivner getting in the zone.
She scored seven points in the third quarter as Lehi rallied nearly the whole way back with a 13-2 run, a portion of which Scrivner actually rode the bench for in anticipation of making a stand in the fourth quarter.
Wasatch clung to a 3-point lead going into the fourth quarter, and Lehi appeared to have stolen all the momentum in front of its home crowd.
Instead, the Wasps simply answered the call with an 11-2 run to open the period with — who else — Garner scoring six in the run.
“We believe in team. We believe in holding the rope,” Hull said. “It was just about getting our composure back together and trusting in one another. I told them if we were going to win, it had to be as a team, and they got back together and got back on task, and I’m really proud of them.”
A late 11-4 run in the dwindling minutes couldn’t do enough to bring Lehi back into the game as the Pioneers fell to 6-4, losing their second straight game.
Scrivner finished the game with 20 points, including three 3-pointers, and seniors Hadlie Warren and McKinly Faux had 11 apiece.