Jax Clark and Bryce Mella were among American Fork’s standouts in their rematch against Lone Peak on Tuesday.
One of the state’s biggest rivalries, American Fork and Lone Peak, tipped off Tuesday night. Just as it did a few weeks ago, American Fork got the last laugh.
It was close at times, but the Cavemen never trailed and earned a convincing 58-48 road win.
The defense was huge for American Fork in the first half. It forced six turnovers in the opening quarter. The Cavemen forced Lone Peak to take the shots they wanted, which resulted in only 20 points at halftime.
Meanwhile, American Fork’s Jax Clark and Bryce Mella worked to get the Cavemen high-quality shots at the rim. It wasn’t until late in the second quarter that American Fork finally got a 3-pointer from Bridger Burnside. That wasn’t because they couldn’t shoot, but largely because they were getting shot in the paint.
Clark ended with a team-high 15 points while Mella added 11.
“I think one thing we’ve really worked hard on in practice is keeping a guy in front of us and trying to defend without fouling, that’s a big deal for us,” said American Fork head coach Ryan Cuff. “When we do get fouls called on us, it’s just because we get caught up trying to reach and things like that. So it’s just making our opponent take tough shots, and that’s another thing that we’ve worked really hard on in practice.”
While American Fork never trailed in the win, Lone Peak gave it a scare in the fourth quarter. The Knights’ Crew Fotheringham and Skyler Andreoli made some shots down low to bring it within six points.
With no hesitation, American Fork kept going to Dieter Tuitavuki in the corner. That proved successful as Tuitavuki connected on two shots from distance to put Lone Peak away. He ended the night with an efficient 14 points off the bench, including four 3-pointers.
“That kid is ready all the time when called upon,” Cuff said. “We’ve had him play some JV just to continue to give him some confidence. He’s just a sophomore, but to come in a big game like that and just being game-ready, those are shots that we expect anybody to pop if they’re open and he has that green light and he knows it. We’re just proud of him.”
The win was a big deal in terms of Region 3 standings for American Fork. The Cavemen keep sole control of the region and could guarantee an outright region title with a win over Corner Canyon on Friday.
“We still have a big road in front of us, and we recognize that and recognize how much harder we have to work and come together,” Cuff said. “A hostile environment, it’s what we needed right now. Proud of them for just keeping their composure and being able to finish strong.”
Category: General Sports
