The two halves of Tuesday’s game between Layton and Skyridge couldn’t have been more different, and they showed off two completely different styles of play.
Layton’s slow, defensive style dictated the first half, and the Lancers built up a lead. However, Skyridge’s fast-paced offense ruled supreme after halftime, and the Falcons ran away with the game 67-56.
The Lancers imposed their will first. It started on the defensive side of the ball as Layton built a quick 9-2 lead.
Layton held Skyridge to only 22 points in the first half and minimized the Falcons’ strong suit, which is transition points. Rebounds and limiting turnovers also played into Layton’s hand and earned it a 29-22 halftime lead.
Skyridge’s Ryder Gentry kept the offense afloat by scoring 10 of the Falcons’ 12 second-quarter points.
“A lot of (the struggle) was because of Layton,” said Skyridge head coach Jeff Gardner. “Coach (Kelby) Miller runs one of the top programs in the state, and they came out and played really well and had us on our heels. They were really hard to score on. They blocked shots, and I felt like Layton really played well, but we made sure to just stay in the game, hanging around.”
The final 16 minutes couldn’t have looked much different from the first 16, and it all started in transition. Skyridge completely flipped the game’s pace by pushing the ball quickly after rebounds.
Skyridge then took that opportunity to work the ball around and get open shots on the perimeter that it didn’t get in the first half. The Falcons’ Carson Mosteller hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter, with Zach Gagon and Gentry each adding another.
The quick pace and open shots led to a 20-4 run in the third quarter. In total, Skyridge outscored Layton 25-7.
“We wanted to keep the pace, and we wanted to keep attacking the rim,” Gardner said. “We didn’t do a great job in the first half finishing at the rim, but we felt like if we kept attacking the rim, it would open up our threes.”
Layton was down, but it certainly wasn’t out. The Lancers’ Karter Miller hit two 3-pointers, including a four-point play, to try to stay in it.
That fight back wasn’t in the cards for Layton as Skyridge kept making strong basketball plays. Gentry ended with a team-high 19 points, but he also contributed game-winning plays like offensive rebounds and smart extra passes on offense.
“I love that we can come back from a rough first half and play an amazing second half, turn it around, win by 10 when we were down by 10,” Gentry said. “I feel like that just shows that we have really good fight in us and we’re a great team.”
The senior core of Gentry, Gagon, Mosteller and Joel Gardner each contributed double-digit points in the comeback win, which was the fourth consecutive for the Falcons.
“Our team likes to play fast, and we’ve got this group of seniors who have been together since second grade, and they love to play with each other, and they believe in each other,” Gardner said. “I think just offensively, our whole message is attack the basket and then kick out when you can’t get to the rim. They did that masterfully.”