(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Skyridge Falcons Trevon Snoddy (24) shoots as Bountiful Braves Brig Willard (10) defend, in 5A basketball playoff action between the Bountiful Braves and Skyridge Falcons, at the UCCU Center in Orem, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018.
Orem • The press Bountiful ran Monday night in a 56-52 victory over Skyridge looked familiar to those who once watched Highland basketball as early as the 1960s.
That’s because Braves coach Mike Maxwell grew up watching his father Larry run a similar press for years. In fact, the younger Maxwell ran it well himself as a star high school guard.
“I’ve modified things a little over the years because you have to,” the veteran Bountiful coach said after his team earned an unexpected Wednesday Class 5A state quarterfinal matchup with Skyline that virtually no one expected. “There are so many good athletes who work on their ball handling. But it has a lot of the same elements.”
The Braves used that pressure to fluster Skyridge early then had just enough gas in the tank to hold off a late Falcons rally.
The star in those final moments was Jadon Chism, a senior guard who has come off the bench this season after starting a year ago. He hit four key free throws in a span of 11 seconds to stop a last-gasp Skyridge rally. There was no nervousness at all.
“I am always up for whatever I am needed for,” he said as he celebrated with the Bountiful student body. “We do a lot of free-throw shooting in practice and focus on knocking them down. I just got up and put them in.”
The Braves had many heroes in this wild and physical game.
Isaac Kime had 14 points and Brig Willard contributed 10. That overcame a nice 19-point, 10-rebound effort by Skyridge’s Trevon Snoddy.
“This is a throwback team,” Maxwell said. “That’s why we put the throwback uniforms on. This is a team that just loves to get after it and play hard. They are not too smart all the time, but they play hard.”
Bountiful built a 42-29 lead late in the third quarter, but Skyridge kept battling back. After trailing 51-42 with 2:59 to play, Snoddy led a 6-0 run to bring the Falcons back within two with 1:07 to play.
But Skyridge just couldn’t get the big stop or break in that final minute, especially with Chism’s clutch free-throw shooting.
So that sets up a matchup Wednesday at the Huntsman Center between Bountiful, a No. 3 team, and Skyline, a No. 4.
Asked if he expected that, Maxwell smiled.
“Absolutely,” he quipped. “I have zero on Skyline. I’ve got to come home, find some film and figure it out.”
BOUNTIFUL 56, SKYRIDGE 52 <br>• Jadon Chism hits four big free throws in the final 35.8 seconds to preserve a hard-fought Bountiful win. <br>• Trevon Snoddy scores 19 points, grabs 10 rebounds, dishes out five assists and has three steals in a losing cause for Skyridge. <br>• Bountiful uses its vintage press to grab an early lead.