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Sandy • Mountain View has a history of falling short against Alta in the year or so since the Hawks joined the Class 4A ranks.
But, before it could become a habit, the Bruins upset the current state of things on Tuesday night. Mountain View accomplished that by handing No. 1 Alta its first loss of the season — claiming a 62-57 victory in a Region 7 tussle.
"Everyone was just playing their hearts out," said Mountain View junior Tahlia White, who scored 17 points. "It's the hardest I've seen anyone on my team play."
Although it seemed like a losing proposition for the visitors at the time, Mountain View (11-2, 5-0) sophomore Lavender Briggs started exchanging buckets with Alta (11-1, 4-1) sophomore Kemery Martin in the fourth quarter. But while Martin popped three 3-pointers in a row, Briggs' buckets were more garden variety 2-point shots.
They were important, though, keeping the Hawks from jumping out to a double-digit lead.
When Briggs hit a second straight 14-foot baseline +jumper, with five minutes remaining, that kicked off seven straight points for the Bruins as they eventually took a 53-52 lead with 3:04 remaining.
"She [Briggs] knows when she has a mismatch, we've taught her some post moves. She can post up, she can hit a jumper — she can take someone to the hole, she can hit a three," Mountain View coach Alexis Kaufusi said. "She kind of does it all and, tonight, I thought she did a really good job on Kemery."
"We needed to win and wanted to win," Briggs said.
Last season, the Bruins' only losses in region play were to Alta.
"We did it — finally," she added.
Briggs led all players with 26 points while Martin paced Alta with 24.
After Mountain View's 7-0 run in the fourth, the Hawks' Kacey Blackner hit a free throw with 2:42 left to tie the game. Mountain View's Skye Lindsay answered with an offensive rebound and basket, which was followed by a jumper by White.
Alta only trailed 58-57 in the final minute after a Blackner basket with 32 seconds left. But free throws, two from White and two from Lindsay, sealed the win for the Bruins in the closing moments.
"We really wanted to slow down the Martin sisters. I think Mariah [Alta's senior point guard] was scoreless in the first half — I think that was huge," Kaufusi said.
"Down the stretch we made huge plays. It was a team defensive effort," he said. —
Mountain View 62, Alta 57
R Mountain View hands Alta its first loss of the season by overtaking the Hawks in the fourth quarter.
• Bruins sophomore Lavender Briggs scores 26 points, while Tahlia White adds 17 and Sky Lindsay 11.