Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OREM — The Westlake Thunder stunned the Riverton Silverwolves, beating them 64-54 in the first round of the 6A state tournament Tuesday.
Westlake used a mixture of 3-pointers and baskets in the post to beat the Silverwolves, who were 18-5 on the season.
After trailing by three to end the first half, Westlake came out storming to take a 35-31 lead in the first couple minutes of the second half. This was followed by a barrage of threes from both teams, including a couple threes by Westlake junior Jared McGregor.
"I was very proud of him to step up and hit those shots," Westlake coach Nate Carling said of McGregor. "That was really big for our team, and our team really feeds off of him hitting those shots."
With 5:32 left in the game, Riverton’s Ryen Edwards made a tough finish at the rim while also getting fouled, cutting the Westlake lead to 3 points. But Westlake's Cooper Mattson battled for rebounds on both ends of the court to fend off the Silverwolves. He ended with 15 points and nine rebounds.
"Cooper's been our constant. He's steady, he makes shots when they come to him, but he doesn't ever force anything," Carling said. "And defensively, for being an undersized post guy, he really does a good job of controlling the paint for us.
Westlake would try to wear down the clock at the end of the game, forcing Riverton to foul in an effort to stop the clock. But Riverton was unable to score as Westlake sank free throws to extend the lead and ultimately the win.
