Emily Isaacson keys Box Elder’s upset of Skyridge in opening round

Taylorsville • There are not many 6-foot-tall young women who can shoot from the outside, break a press, rebound and score inside.

But that’s exactly what Box Elder junior Emily Isaacson did Monday as the fourth-place Bees upset Region 8 champion Skyridge 60-53 in the first round of the Class 5A girls’ basketball tournament at SLCC.

There is a reason she led her team in scoring, assists, rebounds and blocked shots this season. She was the go-to player on a tall team that needed every bit of talent from Isaacson to survive the constant defensive pressure Skyridge employs.

“I am just happy we won,” said Isaacson, who scored 27 points. “We came in as the fourth seed. We wanted to show what we are made of. I am so happy that after all our hard work that we finished out the game. We played in a lot of tough games and are peaking right now.”

Skyridge is talented but very young, with only three seniors on the team. Ally Blackman, only a freshman, finished with 11 points. And junior Marisa Bowman turned in a heroic effort with 20 points while battling the taller Bees inside.

But the Falcons simply could not rattle the underdog Bees, even when they went up 45-38 with 6:49 to play.

Box Elder would not be denied. The Bees went on a 7-0 run to tie it with 4:55 to play. Morgan Reeder, who had all seven of her points in the decisive fourth period, keyed the drive. The Bees, who also got some big baskets from Andreanna Mckee and Kambri Curtis, slowly pulled away in the last three minutes, hitting big free throws and playing fearlessly when good shots were available.

“Our league is really tough,” Box Elder coach Aaron Dooley said. “We played them all tough. I feel like there are some things we could have done better. But I was really happy with our girls. I was happy with how they handled the pressure and the funky defenses they like to run. They play hard and they play together.”

The coach had nothing but good things to say about Isaacson, who he said has an incredible work ethic.

“She is a great kid and works her tail off to make those shots and be able to make those plays,” he said. “It’s not an accident. She can handle the post and shoot the ball. It’s tough for other teams to deal with.”

And, on this snowy morning in the Salt Lake Valley, the team from up north kept its composure under constant pressure to pull the tournament’s first big upset.