Bountiful showcases depth, defense to win 2nd-straight 4A hoops title


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OGDEN — Bountiful’s boys basketball team entered the season knowing it had a target on its back.

The defending Class 4A state champion Braves took a few losses in the early part of the season. But when the 4A state tournament rolled around, the team focused on the basics of basketball: defense and efficient shooting.

Jeff Pollard had a game-high 22 points and five steals to lead four Bountiful players in double-figure scoring, and the Braves ran past upstart Kearns 66-54 for their second-straight 4A state championship Saturday at Weber State’s Dee Events Center.

“I think that comes back to our defense,” said Pollard, who also had five rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. “We know if we play our defense right, we’ll get stops, we’ll get rebounds, and we’ll run up on them.”

Zac Seljaas and Jake LaSalle hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Bountiful (22-6) up 30-10 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

Bountiful used a 23-8 spurt through the second quarter to jump to a 36-16 halftime lead and rolled from there. But the boosted offense was fueled by the renewed commitment to defense.

“We got them on the ropes, and when we’re hitting shots, we’re tough to beat,” said LaSalle, who finished with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. “Zac’s getting us down the floor, and we were out there running and playing our game.”

Seljaas finished with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists despite picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and sitting for much of the second half.

“The best feeling is just playing defense. Stopping them is always better,” said Seljaas, who has signed with BYU. “Points come and go, but it’s all about defense to get wins.”

Bountiful's Zac Seljaas goes up for a block against Kearns' Kur Kuath during the Braves' 66-54 win to claim their second-straight Class 4A state championship Saturday at Weber State. (Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)
Bountiful's Zac Seljaas goes up for a block against Kearns' Kur Kuath during the Braves' 66-54 win to claim their second-straight Class 4A state championship Saturday at Weber State. (Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)

Kearns (19-8) initiated a 15-6 run once Seljaas left the game in the third, but Bountiful responded with a 12-2 run to open the fourth quarter and put the game away.

“That fourth quarter run that we started was huge,” Pollard said. “Kearns was just starting to get back into it, but we took off and just buried them.”

Every time Kearns would try to get back into the game, a different Bountiful player would step up and spur another run to stay in front.

The Braves dished out 16 assists on 21 made shots, led by Jon Schmidt’s six helpers off the bench.

“It doesn’t matter to these guys (who scores). They just won a championship,” Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell said. “They don’t care how; it’s just about getting it done for Bountiful.”

The Braves’ teamwork was in full effect Saturday. Bountiful dished out 16 assists on 21 made shots, led by Jon Schmidt’s six helpers off the bench.

“We’ve got a team here; I know we’ve got Zac and Jeff, but when guys are taking them out, we’ve got their backs,” LaSalle said. “We don’t come out as one or two guys. We love to come out, run and play with each other. We got a lot better as the season went on, and fortunately, we peaked at the right time this week. It’s just fun being out here with these guys.”

Bountiful also shot 55.3 percent from the field, including 58.8 percent in the second half, as six players scored for the Braves. The defending state champs also defended flawlessly, forcing Kearns (19-8) into 18 turnovers and holding the Cougars' star, Bushmen Ebet, to 19 points, including just five in the first quarter. The standout senior who led the state in steals also had seven rebounds and four steals.

Kearns shot just 31.6 percent from the field, including 20.8 percent in the second half in falling behind 36-16. Tayler Marteliz had 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals for Kearns as he tried to rally them in the second half.

The Braves improved to 3-0 against Kearns in 2014-15, including a 63-48 win Jan. 6 to kick off region play — with a game that included a 23-8 run in the second quarter.

Bountiful finished the season on a 19-game winning streak after dropping five of its previous six before the spurt.

It all culminated in a second-straight title, one that came in a very different manner than last year’s 26-1 squad that went undefeated against teams from the state of Utah.

“They’re all sweet, everyone of them, because they’re different,” Maxwell said. “Every kid is different. Even though we got a couple of guys back, this was a whole new team of guys and a whole new experience to take them to the championship.”

Pollard agreed with his coach that this year’s title felt different.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s one thing to win it as a junior, but to get it as a senior is a whole new feeling.”

Added Seljaas: “There are no words to describe it. This is the greatest feeling.”

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