Riverton » It's understandably second nature for Riverton opponents to pay extra attention to Scott Friel and Ryan Thomas, who are two of the best players in Class 5A.
The problem for West Jordan, on Friday night, was that Sean Neilson was there to make them pay for the double teams.
A senior guard, Neilson scored a game-high and career-high 19 points to lead the Silverwolves to a 51-41 win over the Jaguars in a Region 3 showdown.
His ability to stretch West Jordan out from three-point land was a huge key in Riverton's win, as the Silverwolves have started the league schedule 3-0, including wins over West Jordan and Bingham.
"We spread our offense out and it's designed for a lot of people to contribute," Neilson said. "It's tough to stop this offense if everyone's hitting their shots."
This was a game the Silverwolves controlled throughout. While Neilson was hitting jumpers, Thomas was rebounding effectively and Friel was running the offense smoothly.
Defensively, against West Jordan's vaunted three-guard offense, Neilson held Nebraska signee Reyes Gallegos to eight points, while Boise State signee Mason Sawyer scored 11, but was forced into some bad decisions.
"They are tough to stop," Riverton coach Steve Galley said. "Those three guards are as difficult to match with as anyone, and everyone knows this is a brutal region. We just wanted to play solid defense, get a hand up when they shoot and just hope that they miss the shots."
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Silverwolves led 40-29, but the Jaguars, helped by a few turnovers, went on a 7-0 run to pull within 40-36.
Instead of panicking, Riverton pulled away methodically, never letting West Jordan go on another run.
Sean Neilson scores a game-high and career-high 19 points for Riverton.
Front-runners » The Silverwolves improve to 3-0 in Region 3.
