(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Juab's Kollin Robertson tries to stop Summit's Jalexus Gilson. Juab High School boys' basketball team defeated Summit Academy 61-58 during their 3A State tournament game in Heber Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.
Heber City • The Juab-Summit Academy game looked on paper like one of those classic first-round state basketball tournament mismatches.
The Salt Lake County-based Bears came in with a much better record and plenty of experience. The small-town Wasps were 8-13 on the season.
But there is a reason games aren’t played on paper.
Juab repelled a furious Summit Academy rally then needed an overtime rally of its own to capture a 61-58 upset in the first round of the Class 3A boys’ basketball tournament Saturday morning at Wasatch High.
“They really came together and they were really good,” said Juab coach Kamron Wright, who was shaking so badly after the victory that he barely could drink a glass of water. “That’s the best we’ve played all year. It took us a minute to get going this year, but we’ve finally peaked at the right time. They played really well down the stretch.”
The Wasps came out firing in the first quarter, using the 3-point shooting of Easton Wright and Max Gurney to roar to a 16-5 lead.
“It was about keeping the seniors together and playing as a team,” Gurney said. “We talked about staying together as a team. I think we’ve got it going.”
Summit Academy would spend the rest of the game trying to come back with varying degrees of success.
The Bears, playing behind seniors Isaiah Green and Jalexus Gilson who each finished with 20 points, kept chipping away. While Juab managed to weather Summit Academy’s near-constant defensive pressure, the Wasps couldn’t put away the game.
That led to a dramatic fourth quarter. With Juab struggling from the line, Summit Academy clawed its way back into the game, eventually tying it on a 3-point shot from Green and two free throws by Gilson with 1.4 seconds remaining.
That forced overtime, and when Summit Academy went off to a quick 54-50 lead, its first lead of the game, it looked as though Juab finally had exhausted itself.
But the Wasps got three free throws to cut the margin to 54-53. Then Wright hit perhaps the biggest shot of the game, a deep 3-pointer with 2:10 to play.
“When you are open, shoot,” said Wright, who honestly wasn’t that open when he buried that 3-pointer. “That’s it. It’s probably the best we’ve played. We have a lot of seniors, and I didn’t want to let them down.”
Alex White, who had nine rebounds for the Wasps, hit four big free throws in the final 49.3 seconds to secure the upset.
JUAB 61, SUMMIT ACADEMY 58 IN OT <br>• A big 3-point basket in overtime by Easton Wright leads Juab to a first-round upset. <br>• Jay Gilson hits two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to give Summit Academy a chance at a win. He finishes with 20 points and13 rebounds. <br>• Juab came into the game with an 8-13 record compared to 13-8 for the Bears.