High school boys basketball: Young stars help Orem hold off Highland

The team might be young, but the Orem Tigers are gaining valuable experience night in and night out.

After watching a 14-point third quarter lead disappear, Orem junior Lance Reynolds played hero for the Tigers, scoring a lay-up with just 1.9 seconds left to knock off the Highland Rams 50-48 Tuesday night.

“There’s been a lot of fun games, but this is definitely one of them,” said Reynolds. “It was great to finish that one out.”

It was the third straight game for the Tigers that came right down to the wire. In their final two region games of the season, Orem experienced both sides of the coin, having knocked off Timpview with a late fourth quarter run and then getting stunned at home against valley rival Mountain View.

“I’m just happy we won,” said Orem coach Jace Tavita. “It’s good for our group. Guys got to step up and help us win a play-off game. Those are hard.”

The Tigers were led offensively by Reynolds’ 14 points. Tika Wesley added 12 for Orem, while Chance Dastrup helped run the show as the floor general, putting the ball right where it needed to be and chipping in 10 points of his own.

“It took every play and everybody,” Dastrup said. “Every play mattered.”

Despite not playing with leading scorer Anthony Felesi due to a suspension, the Tigers controlled most of the game. With 5:02 remaining in the third quarter, Orem led 36-22 and had all the momentum.

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A quick 9-2 run by the visiting Rams brought the game within striking distance, but the Tigers still had a comfortable 42-33 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Highland, however, wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Rams had cut the deficit in half, thanks in part to the sharp shooting of Matt Lambson. The Highland junior scored all nine of his points on 3-pointers in the second half, including a corner fadeaway that pulled Highland within one with just over three minutes left in the game.

Orem’s answer defensively? Their floor general.

Despite being one of the shortest athletes on the court, Dastrup played with no fear, sticking like glue to Lambson and denying the junior any opportunity to get off another look from deep.

“It just makes me feel good because I know that coach has confidence in me,” said Dastrup.

With Lambson being defended tightly, the Rams went to a familiar face in senior Nathan Johnsen to keep the game close. Johnsen, who finished with 18 points to lead Highland, threw up a half-court prayer as the final buzzer sounded that just missed off the right side of the rim.

With only one senior on the team and multiple underclassmen in the starting lineup, a win in the state play-offs is a major step forward for Orem. The young squad will be challenged once again on Friday, as they travel north to take on 3 seed Woods Cross, a team that defeated the Tigers last year in the postseason.

“They are a good team. They knocked us out of the playoffs last year,” said Tavita. “Hopefully our kids have a chip on the shoulder and want to go and do the same to them.”

“Losing to them last year definitely left a little sour taste in our mouths,” said Reynolds, one of only two current Orem Tigers to play in last year’s game against the Wildcats. “It will be good to try and get revenge for our seniors from last year.”