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Mt. Pleasant • There is a reason Lone Peak remains the gold standard for Utah boys' basketball.

The Knights had every reason to give up Thursday night before earning a come-from-behind 68-65 victory over Wasatch Academy.

The home-team Tigers, playing before a nearly packed house on a windy evening in Sanpete County, were the more athletic of the two teams and led for 95 percent of the game.

What's more, Duke signee and Lone Peak star Frank Jackson struggled to breathe as he battled not only strep throat but one of the few teams in Utah with players capable of guarding him.

When Wasatch Academy, a private boarding school that plays an independent schedule, put on a dunking exhibition over a four-minute span in the third quarter to lead 50-39, it looked as though the Tigers might blow the Knights out of the gym.

But it wasn't to be.

Jackson dug deep to score 14 of his game-high 29 points in the final 10 minutes of the game and Lone Peak started forcing turnovers to complete what looked like an improbable comeback.

And, with 24.2 seconds to go and Lone Peak clinging to a one-point lead, Nate Harkness hit two free throws to give the Knights their largest lead of the game.

Wasatch Academy, a team with great jumping ability that managed only one 3-point basket all evening, could not answer in the final seconds. The Tigers were hurt when star Koby McEwen, who scored 22 points, fouled out in the final two minutes.

This was a game of contrasts that pitted the high-flying inside-oriented Tigers with the outside shooting of Lone Peak and stars Jackson and Steve Ashworth.

"The biggest thing we emphasized was rebounding and defense," said Lone Peak coach David Evans. "Our rebounding in the first half was really poor. They were a well coached team that plays hard and is very talented. We talked about boxing out and rebounding. We were not as big and not as athletic, but in the second half, we dug deeper."

Harkness, who finished with 13 points, said Lone Peak struggled defensively in the first half due to the strength of the Tigers inside.

"We came together in the second half," he said. "We had a good feeling and started helping each other out. It was way fun playing against a really good team in a packed gym."

Wasatch Academy coach Curtis Condie who, like Evans, is in his first year at the school, said his team didn't execute well in the second half.

"It was a good atmosphere," said Condie, whose team fell to 7-1 on the season. "I feel bad for our fans we weren't able to win."

wharton@sltrib.com Twitter @tribtomwharton —

Storylines

R Lone Peak star Frank Jackson, playing with strep throat, scores a game-high 29 points to lead the Knights back from an 11-point second half deficit.

• Wasatch Academy star Koby McEwen fouls out late in the game, finishing with 22 points.

• Lone Peak's outside shooting proves too much for the inside play of Wasatch Academy.