Girls hoops end slide with a 44-18 win over Stansbury
Jan 11, 2024 08:55AM ● By Brian Shaw
To say this season has been a struggle would be an understatement for Morgan’s girls’ basketball team.
Morgan is now done with its preseason slate of games, having finished it with a 2-10 record.
Three days after a resounding 44-18 win over 4A Stansbury on Dec. 15, the Trojans took 6A American Fork to the brink on Dec. 18 before losing by the final score of 48-55.
After the team took a break during the holidays, they resumed play on Jan. 4 at 6A Skyridge. The Trojans led through three quarters before falling 37-48.
When Morgan resumed play after the holidays, the Trojans had a tough task ahead at 6A Skyridge. But the Trojans had a 7-4 lead after one quarter, led by five points at the break by the score of 21-16, and still led 33-29 after three periods. It took a 19-4 fourth quarter by Skyridge to avoid the Trojans’ upset bid, which was led by Titus, who had 11 points for Morgan. Eva Birkeland and Noss each scored eight.
Still and all, a record of one win and three losses during arguably the most difficult stretch of the season isn’t bad for a Morgan team that is breaking in several new starters at key positions.
What’s ironic about Morgan’s improved play was that the Trojans nearly broke what turned out to be a two-game skid at Fremont back on Dec. 12.
Morgan may have lost that battle to Fremont by the final score of 46-48, but the reigning 3A champions gave the 6A semifinalists everything they could handle in an all-out war. Titus and Leah Birkeland each scored 11 points to pace Morgan, while Kaydence Wardell pitched in nine and Eva Birkeland seven for the Trojans.
When Morgan head coach Sterling Mack said he wanted to “play like some of the great UNLV run-and-gun teams” this season, it appears the lessons Mack has been teaching his Trojans this preseason might be sinking in.
In Morgan’s win [44-18] over Stansbury, their second, the Trojans had 18 points from junior Eva Birkeland, her second-best outing of the season. Morgan rode a 13-0 first quarter into the locker room with a 19-8 halftime lead. Junior Alexis Burt chipped in five points, while Abby Titus, Keira Brewer, and Leah Birkeland each scored four in the win that saw the Trojans extend their lead to 23 points at 37-14 by the end of the third quarter.
The win was Morgan’s first since Dec. 2’s 58-18 drubbing of Timpanogos during the Morgan Winter Classic. The Trojans will start region play this week with a game at Ogden Jan. 9 before coming home to face Grantsville on Jan. 11. λ
