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Spanish Fork • Certainly an out-of-the-norm tradition, once a year at a Spanish Fork boys' basketball team, the home crowd withholds any loud cheering until the host Dons score their 10th point of the game — whether it's a 3-pointer, a slam-dunk or just an ordinary ol' free throw.

On Friday night, that juncture of the ballgame with Salem Hills came when Spanish Fork's Jax Tobiasson scored to break an 8-8 tie.

When the Dons supporters then exploded, the sound must have had one heck of a concussive effect on the visiting Skyhawks because Salem Hills was barely heard from again.

Spanish Fork (9-9, 5-2) rolled to a thunderous 76-32 victory and stayed right in the thick of the Region 8 race.

"I don't know if this was a statement game, but I know we've had a lot of frustrating, close games that haven't gone our way," Dons coach Jesse Roberts said. "Tonight I just challenged the guys to just loosen up and play. And, when they play, these guys are pretty good."

The earlier game between the two squads was also won by Spanish Fork, but by only nine points to open the 8-4A slate.

And, very early in the rematch, Salem Hills (9-8, 2-5) was still in the game midway through the fourth quarter.

But Spanish Fork followed up Tobiasson's silence-breaking bucket with a 3-pointer from Taylor Anderson and another field goal from Hunter Schofield to go up 15-8. The Skyhawks answered with a layup from Trevor Gasser just before the end of the first period to make the margin five points.

That late-period run by the Dons was just a prelude of what was about to come.

The second quarter began with Spanish Fork scoring on a basket from Jason Money. Four-and-a-half minutes later, a basket by Benson Rhees and a free throw from Parker Bowman ended a 22-0 run that buried the Skyhawks.

"We still have work to do, we can still get better on defense," said Schofield, who finished with a game-high 20 points. "But we've stepped it up in the second half [of the season] and hopefully we'll continue to keep it going."

With Schofield and Bowman applying pressure in the paint, Rhees was keeping Salem Hills honest with his shooting and passing from the perimeter. Rhees finished with a dozen points.

"It was so exciting. As a senior, I've never lost to this team in my three years. Playing them the last time at home, this game meant everything to us as a team'" Rhees said. "We were ready to go."

Jeff DeGraffenreid led Salem Hills with ten points. He drained a long three to end the first half, but by that time the Dons had already opened a 32-point gap.

"This region is going to go right down to the end," Roberts said. "We've got a lot of work to do, but it felt good tonight." —

Spanish Fork 76, Salem Hills 32

R Spanish Fork blows open the Region 8-4A game by running off 22 straight points to start the second quarter.

• Hunter Schofield scores 20 for the victorious Dons while teammates Parker Bowman (13 points) and Benson Rhees (12) also get into double figures.

• Salem Hills' Porter Gustin fouled out early in the fourth after scoring six points.