By Parker Lee

Special to the Tribune

Squire shines, but Cyprus falls

Junior guard Connor Squire scored 19 points against Bountiful on Friday to lead all scorers, but the Pirates fell to the Braves, 60-40. Cyprus allowed Bountiful’s Brock Yates and Dain Murdock to combine for 29 points, and that was too much to overcome. The Pirates have two more opportunities get a win before the season concludes. They play Clearfield on Friday and East on Tuesday.

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Granger needs wins, help

Granger suffered a big hit to its playoff hopes when it lost to West on Friday. The Lancers now sit at 2-6 in Region 2, one game behind Kearns for fourth place. Granger hosts Kearns on Friday. A loss to the Cougars would eliminate the Lancers. If Granger can win, it will all come down to what happens in Tuesday’s games. On Tuesday, Granger plays at Hunter and Kearns hosts Taylorsville.

Hunter must shake off T-ville loss

The Wolverines were right in the mix for the Region 2 title, but their early-season inconsistency returned. After losing to Viewmont, Hunter suffered an inexcusable loss to Taylorsville. The Wolverines led the Warriors by 3, but gave up 5 points in the final 5 seconds to lose. Hunter looked as if it had the No. 2 seed locked up, at worst. Now, the Wolverines need to beat West on Friday to avoid the second spot in Region 2.

Kearns on brink of clinching

With two games remaining in the regular season, Kearns is clinging to the fourth slot in Region 2. The Cougars lead Granger and Taylorsville by one game each, and as luck would have it, those are the Cougars’ final two opponents. Of the three teams, Kearns has the inside track to claiming the final playoff berth. If the Cougars defeat Granger and Taylorsville, they are in. A loss in either of those games could potentially create a messy two- or three-team tie.

Stansbury loses must-win game

The Stallions suffered a crucial loss to Ben Lomond on Friday. Had Stansbury won, it would have guaranteed itself at least a three-way tie with Ogden and Bear River for the last two Region 11 playoff spots. By losing, the Stallions created a tough situation for themselves. They needed to beat region champion Morgan on Tuesday just to force that tie.

Taylorsville still has outside chance

Despite being 3-16 overall, Taylorsville has not been eliminated with two games left to play. The Warriors play Viewmont on Friday and Kearns on Tuesday. If Taylorsville can somehow upset the Vikings and defeat the Cougars, they would claim a share of fourth place in Region 2, assuming Granger loses at least one of its final two games. It is certainly not an easy path to the tournament, but at least the Warriors still have a path.

Tooele finishes slow, but shows improvement

The season came to a close for Tooele on Friday. The Buffaloes lost at Bear River, 65-57. Three Tooele players finished the game with at least 12 points, but they were unable to get the same production on defense. Tooele finished the season with a 5-15 record. While that might not seem like much, it was an improvement upon the 1-20 record the Buffaloes had in the previous season.

West Jordan stays atop Region 3

In the Region 3 game of the year, Jordan Loveridge lifted West Jordan over Alta, 75-60. Loveridge scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the contest. The Jaguars now have a clear road to the region title. If West Jordan wins one of its final two games, or if Brighton and Alta each lose a game, then the Jaguars will claim the crown.