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Springville • The Springville boys' basketball team produced balanced scoring with good ball movement and played tough defense on the way to a 69-55 victory over Mountain View on Wednesday night.
The final score is a bit deceiving, as the game was tight through three quarters. The lead didn't reach double digits until halfway through the final period.
Both teams crashed the glass and defended with intensity, but the Red Devils had a little more firepower. They also showed good discipline; despite mounting foul totals in the first half, no player fouled out in the fast-paced contest.
Senior guard Josh Elison led the way for Springville with 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Senior guard Mason Sumsion added 17 points and senior center Andrew Slack finished with 15 points.
"From our first game to our second, the biggest improvement was how we shared the ball," Devils coach Justin Snell said. "Our goals include a high proportion of assists to buckets and we did well with that tonight, especially in the second half."
The coach noted he had only had three practices with the athletes who have finished football season, and that was reflected in the foul counts.
"We'll take it, though," he added. "That playoff experience will be very valuable down the road."
Senior guard Ricky Stafford led the Bruins with 16 points and KJ Wesley added 12 in their season opener.
"Mountain View's a really good team," Snell said. "They'll be able to take advantage of a lot of mismatches going forward."