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After bolting from the gates with a 6-0 start, the Riverton High School Silverwolves looked like one of the premier boys' basketball teams in Class 5A hoops.

Then the losses started piling up.

Riverton dropped a 57-54 decision to Murray on Dec. 22 and followed that performance with two losses to 3A Judge Memorial and Park City high schools.

Riverton's leading scorer, Alex Nielson, said the team lost focus during the holiday break. "Those were off games for us and we didn't execute our offense or play defense the way we know how to," Nielson said.

Riverton coach Steve Galley said his team was not sharp during the three-game losing streak.

"There weren't any huge, glaring weaknesses that were exposed, but rather so many of the little things, like communication, ball pressure on defense and winning the rebounding battle," said Galley. "The little things turn out to be big things when you face tough opponents that are well-coached."

Although the losses were of concern to Galley, he said there was no panic within the team.

"When you go from a winning streak to a losing streak, it's natural to air things out and there was a little of that," Galley said. "Mainly we rededicated ourselves to doing the things that were making us successful."

Galley told his players that they had stalled a little and failed to improve, but also noted the losses were all close and the team was just a few possessions away from being undefeated.

The Silverwolves opened region play with a 66-49 victory over Kearns High School and followed with an impressive 55-51 win over Bingham High School.

Galley said region play tends to bring out the best in players. "Now we just hope to keep improving each practice and each game."

With opponents like 11-1 West Jordan High School, Region 3 probably won't be decided until late February.

"Every team in our region has the potential to win games," Nielson said. "We think if we play every game one at a time we have a reasonable shot to win region." Big game – West Jordan at Bingham boys' basketball, 7 p.m., Friday. Bingham has not started Region 3 playing well, and the Jags have. Game has huge Region 3 implications.

Player to watch – Copper Hills forward Colton Neff. The 6-foot-2-inch senior averages a shade less than 20 points and is the go-to-guy for coach Kent Smith.

Big Number – (27) – Pleasant Grove's Cory McCallister scored 27 points against Hillcrest, including six 3-pointers.