Box score
A bit later in the season than it probably hoped, Lone Peak’s girls basketball team is starting to find its rhythm two games into region play and is looking every bit the part of a contender for a state championship three-peat.
Lone Peak throttled shorthanded Skyridge 69-30 in a 6A state championship rematch on Tuesday, improving to 2-0 in region play and 7-6 overall.
“I thought they played well, I think there are things we’re still ironing out and always looking to get better at, but I thought they played well together,” said Lone Peak coach Nancy Warner.
A slow start to the season was perhaps always going to be expected for Lone Peak as it navigated a challenging schedule while simultaneously learning to play meaningful games without all-state departures Kailey Woolston and Makeili Ika.
Nagging injuries and sickness didn’t help matters along the way, but with the calendar flipping to 2024 the Knights have been able to practice and play games at full strength and it has made a world of difference.
Last Friday Lone Peak opened region play with a resounding 71-46 win over Pleasant Grove, and Tuesday backed it up by more than doubling up Skyridge.
Sarah Bartholomew led the way for Lone Peak with 18 points, with Shawnee Nordstrom chipping in with 17 points on three 3-pointers.
Bartholomew had been averaging just 8.0 points through the first 11 games this season, but in two region games she’s averaged 18.5 ppg. She scored seven points in the first quarter to set the tone for Lone Peak, which raced to a quick 20-6 lead over Skyridge.
Nordstrom scored 13 of her 17 points in the opening half, including three 3-pointers, to help extend the lead to 33-15 by halftime as her team coasted from there.
“I think we knew this was going to be our toughest year. Adversity comes every year for us, but I think we’ve really pushed through,” said Nordstrom.
Warner believes those tough early games — which included narrow losses to 4A No. 1 Ridgeline and 6A No. 1 Copper Hills, as well as a 2-4 record against quality out-of-state teams — have helped prepare her players for well-balanced performances like Tuesday night.
“They’ve learned a lot, every game, and that’s the whole point of it. Making sure that we’re constantly putting ourselves in those positions to have weaknesses exposed so we can work on it and get better and be playing our best at the right time,” said Warner.
Not being at 100% during those stretches was tough, but Warner said, “we feel like we’re ourselves again.”
Not being full strength at times this season allowed a few younger players to develop a bit earlier than expected, which includes freshman Zuri Nordstrom, who had one of her best games of the season against Skyridge, tallying nine points.
She scored a career-high 14 points in a preseason game against East, and is one of seven Lone Peak players who has hit double-digit scoring at least once this year.
That balanced, collective effort has helped Lone Peak adjust to playing without two all-staters, but it has certainly taken some time to reach that point.
“It really is just making sure that collectively as a team we’re playing together. I’m not looking for any of my players right now to become Kailey Woolston or Makeili Ika, we just have to be our best selves,” said Warner.