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American Fork • The most valuable player of the inaugural Elite 8 Tournament evaded Sky View's Jake Hendricks last season. The sharpshooter led the Bobcats to the championship round, but Davis' Jesse Wade proved too much in the overtime loss.
Hendricks wasn't going to allow the Darts to foil his team's tournament experience again. The senior established his presence from the onset with a thunderous dunk off the opening tip, and never looked back, confirming he's one of the deadliest threats in the state after pouring in a game-high 24 points in the Bobcats' 49-41 win at American Fork on Thursday.
"I think it started all on the defensive end," Hendricks said. "We came out and got after it."
Hendricks, who reached the 20-point plateau for the third time in four games this season, displayed his entire offensive arsenal by knocking down perimeter jumpers — both stationary or on the move — and penetrating the defense effortlessly, including finishing several acrobatic attempts at the basket. With Sky View extending defensive pressure full-court sporadically, Hendricks benefited from active hands, deflecting predetermined passes into easy buckets.
Sky View flustered Davis into shooting 5 of 23 from the field in the second half [21.7 percent] after falling behind in the first half as the Darts embarked on an 11-0 run in the second quarter. Landon Swartz led the Darts with 20 points, but finished 9 of 19 from the floor overall and 0 for 6 from beyond the arc. Davis shot 3 of 15 from 3-point range.
"It is preseason, we're trying to get better at the things we do," said Sky View coach Kirk Hillyard. "Main focus was our defensive effort. First half, they were getting a lot of easy layups. I didn't feel like we closed out very well."
Bryce Mortenson chipped in a double-double in the win, finishing with 11 points and 10 boards. Luke White added nine points to supplement Hendricks on the offensive end. Sky View features several players who recently finished duties on the football field. The team is still developing cohesion, especially offensively, with Hendricks forced to carry significant stretches on his back.
After the post-game handshakes, Hendricks bounced into the lockers, immediately exhaling as he opened the doors. Winning one of the premier in-state preseason basketball tournaments matters.
"We did just a little bit, little bit of motivation," said Hillyard of last season's championship defeat. "I felt like we had a couple chances to take that one and felt like we should have, so it's kind of nice to get a little bit of revenge."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Storylines
Sky View avenges loss against Davis in last year's Elite 8 Tournament.
Jake Hendricks finishes with game-high 24 points for the Bobcats.
Sky View flusters Davis into shooting 5 of 23 from the field in the second half