T-Birds send champs packing

OGDEN -- Five minutes into Monday's Class 4A first round game with Highland, the third-ranked Timpview Thunderbirds not only sent a message to the defending champion Rams, but to the rest of the field - - the offensive minded T-Birds can play defense, too.

The T-Birds (20-2) led by 10 points minutes into the game, but most importantly, the Rams still hadn't scored.

"Defense has been our anchor. Our kids are committed to that end of the floor," Timpview coach Perry Wildeboer said. "That's where our consistency has come from."

The T-Birds have the numbers to prove it. They lead the class in fewest points allowed (44.2) and margin of victory (16.6). Fourteen times this year, the T-Birds have held their opponent to 50 points or less.

Defense was stressed even more Monday after Timpview saw No. 1 Olympus and No. 2 Provo fall in games just before them.

"I was in shock almost," Timpview junior guard Matt Pinegar said of the early upsets." We needed to be careful not to look past Highland."

It was evident early that the T-Birds were focused.

Timpview held the reigning 4A MVP Jordan Owen to below his average. He had just four field goals and was 5-of-6 from the line. The T-Birld held Eric Daniels to his average of 12 points.

Also, Highland's 45 points was its second-lowest offensive output of the year. The Rams (12-9) averaged 62.1 a game.

"Defensively, we played pretty well in the first quarter," Wildeboer said. "It kind of set the tone mentally for Owen and Daniels."

Timpview center Aaron Miles scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter as they T-Bird led 17-4. Ryan Jackson, who also finished 12 points, scored five in the quarter.

Jackson led the T-Birds with nine rebounds and Miles added eight.

The T-Birds will meet Cyprus, a team it beat 65-34 earlier in the year, in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 4:10 p.m.

After Daniels trimmed the Timpview lead to eight with 5:50 left in the second quarter, Pinegar, who finished with 12 points, drilled back-to-back three-pointers and sophomore Matt Mortensen canned another to open up the Timpview lead to 15.

In other games Monday:

BOX ELDER 60, MURRAY 44: After two top seeds fell in games before it, Box Elder made sure it wouldn't happen for third straight game.

Senior Jared Quayle scored 14 of his 19 points in the third quarter and he also pulled down 11 rebounds in leading the Region 4 champion Bees.

Corey Kaminska chipped in with 18 rebounds and 11 rebounds, while Adrian Takai led the Spartans with 12 points and Johnny Little added 11.

The Bees led by four at the half and behind Quayle, outscored the Spartans 19-13 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

OREM 66, PROVO 45: The Tigers controlled the game from the opening tip and routed once top-ranked Provo. Lincoln Reid scored 21 points and had three dunks in leading the Orem attack. Brooks Christiansen had 16 and Jonny Nielsen 14. Tigers shot 67 percent from the field, while Provo made only three of 22 three-point attempts.

CYPRUS 55, MOUNTAIN CREST 50: Cyprus trailed by as many as six points in the second half before coming back for the five-point victory.

The Pirates led by 10 at the half, but the Mustangs went on a 14- 2 run to take the lead at 34-32. Tom Holland had three three- pointers in the stretch.

Chase Stringfellow, who was playing with a broken right hand, gave the Pirates the lead for good at 50-48 late in the contest. Mountain Crest missed 4-of-6 foul shots down the stretch.

Robby Garside and Rawley Loutensock led the Pirates with 16 points each and Holland led Mountain Crest with 15.

SKY VIEW 52, EAST 47: Sky View's Andy King converted a three- point play with less than a minute left in the game to lift the Bobcats to the victory.

East trailed by nine points heading in the final quarter and actually took the lead at 47-46 on a bucket by Troy Randall, but the Leopards wouldn't score the rest of the way.

Jake Christiansen and King led the Bobcats with 12 points each and Clint Lee added 10. Randall led East with 21 points and Jesse Stott added 13 more.

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