For the last month, the Bryce Valley Mustangs have been playing their best basketball of the season, and coach Gary Syrett is relishing it since much of it has taken place in the Region 20 and state tournaments.
The Mustangs won their fifth straight game Friday evening, surprising the Wayne Badgers 45-37 to earn a berth in the 1A championship game Saturday at Salt Lake Community College.
Gerardo Lopez and Brace Syrett scored 14 points apiece, but it was Rodolfo Perez, who scored all 10 of his points in the second half, and also thrilled his Mustangs’ fans with his fancy passing, who made the difference.
The game was close throughout and the lead changed six times, but Bryce Valley controlled the fourth quarter.
“We knew what we had to do,” coach Syrett said. “They had a size advantage on us and we had to limit their looks (at the basket).”
Bryce Valley came to the Salt Lake area with a 15-9 record but finished in fifth place in Region 20 and had lost handily to teams such as Piute and Wayne earlier in the season.
The Mustangs, however, edged Piute 64-63 Thursday behind 22 points from Clay Gray, and then got revenge on the Badgers.
“It was more of a team effort,” coach Syrett said. “Our region is so tough that you have to play your best every night or you’ll get beat. That’s what makes our teams so tough at state.”
Previously, Bryce Valley had trouble with Wayne post players such as 6-foot-5 Hunter Robins and 6-foot-3 Blake Peterson. On this night, though, Robins made just 2 of 4 shots and Peterson was 3 of 14 from the field.
As a team, Wayne made just 14 of 54 shot attempts (27.8%) and was 0 for 14 from 3-point range.
“Our defense made the difference,” coach Syrett said. “When you can hold a team to that kind of shooting, it can keep you in the game.”
By comparison, Bryce Valley shot 47.5% from the field and even outrebounded the taller Badgers, 32-31.
Bryce Valley advances to play top-seeded Rich in the championship game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Wayne finishes the season with a 20-7 record.
Ever since this year’s 1A boys basketball state tournament pairings were revealed, the Rich Rebels had Friday night circled on the calendar.
Even though the Rebels were the top seed, coach Lex Cornia said it wouldn’t feel right until his team could get past Panguitch.
The Bobcats had won this matchup the last two seasons — both times in the championship game. This year’s contest between No. 1 Rich and the fifth-seeded Bobcats was in the semifinals, but the huge crowd at Salt Lake Community College and the emotions on both sides made it feel like a repeat of past title contests.
Only this time, Rich earned a 63-62 win.
Ridge Lundgren scored 15 points and led four players in double figures as the Rebels built a nine-point margin and then held on to advance to play Bryce Valley Saturday for a chance to take the top spot for the first time since 2015.
“We knew it would be tight,” Cornia said. “(Losing) the last two years in the championship game has been tough and I’m hoping this win tonight will be good for us and our community.”
Rich fell to Panguitch 55-48 in 2024 and 50-40 last year, when it was also the No. 1 seed. Cornia said the Rebels’ game plan Friday was mostly to try to limit Panguitch’s 6-foot-7 post, Trenton Virga, from having his way underneath.
Virga finished with 16 points and nine rebounds but also helped Panguitch’s rally by attracting a lot of attention. Finally, Tayze Barney, Camden Englestead and Taycen Ramsay came alive and got the crowd roaring.
Panguitch took a 56-54 lead when Traiger Ramsay and Taycen Ramsay hit consecutive jumpers midway through the fourth quarter, but Rich retaliated by putting the ball in Lundgren’s hands.
The Rebels’ leading scorer tied the game with three minutes left when he made two free throws, though Rich needed another hero when Panguitch answered with a pair of baskets by Tayze Barney.
Carter Scott was fouled and made both free throws, and after a turnover, Rich took a 61-60 lead with a minute remaining on a 3-pointer by Aidan Weston.
Lundgren made two more free throws with 19 seconds left and Ramsay made it 63-62 with with 12 seconds remaining but both team’s defense prevented any more scoring and Rich walked off the court feeling relieved after ending the two-year losing streak to the Bobcats.
“It feels really good to be done with it,” Cornia said. “However, you can’t be playing your best game on Friday. There’s still one more to play and we need to get these kids up and motivated.”