By Jennifer Gustavson

| Special to The Tribune

East boys’ basketball star guard Parker Van Dyke knows the expectation. The emphasis placed on patience and controlled play is not lost on any of the Leopards.

"That’s been our tradition, and we try to do that," Van Dyke said. "But being a bit flashy is just kind of our attitude. I think sometimes it drives our coaches crazy."

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At a glance

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Highlights

Junior guard Parker Van Dyke had another impressive showing, leading all scorers with 27 points. He drained a buzzer-beater shot from behind the arc to tie the game 17-17 at the end of the first quarter.

» In the span of one fourth-quarter minute, the Leopards capitalized on fouls and turnovers to turn an 8-point lead into a 55-40 advantage.

» Brady Cowley, Skyler Farnes, Garrett Grant and Mike Jacobson combined for 34 points for the Wildcats.

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Perhaps.

But on Friday night, the Leopards’ fast-paced, showy play — particularly in the second half — paid off as the Leopards scored a dominant 64-46 region-opening victory over Woods Cross. "We came out sort of frantic," said Van Dyke, who led all scorers with 27 points. "We just had to calm down and execute."

From the opening tip, the Leopards simply outmuscled the highly ranked Wildcats off the bounce, pulling down offensive rebounds and pushing the pace to score easy layups. Meanwhile, Woods Cross was forced to use free throws to keep it close.

The Leopards used the momentum to turn a 26-25 halftime lead into a six-point advantage heading into the final quarter.

That’s when senior center Bryce Williams delivered the first of a series of final blows, twisting for a layup, drawing the foul and draining the subsequent free throw. From there, East’s Liti Molisi and Sione Tuai turned two quick turnovers into six quick points to extend an modest cushion into a 55-40 lead with less than four minutes to play.

In all, eight Leopards scored to secure their most balanced win of the young season.

With the region-opener victory secured, the Leopards started to have some fun, snaking passes between defenders’ legs and taunting the Wildcats with high-bouncing assists.

"These guys play with emotion. That’s just the way they operate," coach Skip Lowe said. "We are more controlled, but I don’t want to take what these guys do out of them."