Rams Use Dominant Second Half To Defeat Uintah
Highland’s Umu Tukuafu hits a three pointer against Uintah in the Rams’ playoff victory.
February 25, 2022
When Highland went into the second half up 22-21 in what was a defensive struggle of a game, it looked like the Rams could have a four-quarter battle on their hands. But a big run in the third quarter quickly put that idea to rest. Highland then cruised to victory, winning 56-38 against the Uintah Utes to advance to the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
Highland missed a lot of shots in the first quarter, layups that the players normally would finish. But because of their size and athleticism, the Rams controlled the offensive boards and were able to eek out a one-point lead at half. Once the shots starting falling, the Rams began to dominate in the third and fourth quarters.
In the second half, what really worked for them was rebounding and finding their groove on defense. By getting rebounds they were able to give themselves second chances, increasing their lead each time. In the second half, they were able to make more and more shots, making some impressive runs to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter.
In the third, Highland began with a run of 7-0, not letting Uintah score in the first four minutes. Highland dominated the third, outscoring Uintah 18-6 in the period to take a 40-27 lead.
Even though Highland’s students section was confident with their win, the players closed it out and greatened their lead in the fourth. They had a run of what was 5-0, then 7-0, then 10-0. The fourth brought in big numbers, as Sophia Legate had a pair of threes in the quarter, and her teammates dominated in the paint. Cecilia Olevao was the leading scorer of the night with 13 points. These high scorers allowed Highland to outscore Uintah, once again, 16-7 in the final quarter, putting any comeback ideas to rest for the Utes.
This win means that this team will advance to play Timpview at the University of Utah on Monday at 9:10 p.m.
“The environment (of the U of U game) will be different,” head coach Sala Asiata said. “But these girls just gotta learn to take it a game at a time, and treat it as a game.”
