1 / 6

Ogden junior Jackson Maw (25) defends West Field junior Jordan Harrison (23) during a game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

2 / 6

Ogden senior Conrad Moore (1) brings the ball down the court vs. West Field during a game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

3 / 6

West Field junior Daxton Laughter (3) takes an open lane during a game vs. Ogden on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

4 / 6

West Field senior Jaxon Slaugh (4) defends Ogden senior Brayden Wilson (ball) during a game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

5 / 6

Ogden sophomore Ryan Kirkland (21), defended by West Field junior Jordan Harrison (23), puts the ball through the hoop during a game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

6 / 6

Ryder Wilcox (center), representing the U.S. Naval Academy Men's Glee Club, sings the national anthem before a boys basketball game between Ogden and West Field on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

❮ ❯

OGDEN — The Longhorns have reason to be merry.

Led by senior Jaxon Slaugh’s 24 game-high points, West Field unloaded in the second half for a 57-36 road win at Ogden as the prep basketball slate quiets down for the holidays.

The Tigers (7-3) challenged West Field (5-4) through three quarters but ultimately slipped out of reach and now must wait until the new year before redeeming themselves in the win column.

Joining Slaugh, West Field junior forward Jordan Harrison scored 11 points and freshman forward Drew Faddis added eight to overwhelm the Tigers — led by junior center Jackson Maw’s 13 points — in the fourth quarter

Asked about their defensive progress, Slaugh shed light on long hours spent at practice sharpening each role in the book.

“We’ve put a lot of detail and hard work on just looking at our rotations and what we need to do in positioning,” Slaugh said. “We watch a ton of film just to get better on that.”

Both squads opened the night mimicking each other’s high-pace starts. For Ogden, 6-foot-6 sophomore center Ryan Kirkland fought several one-on-two battles beneath the basket, but it was a 3-point bucket by senior Robert Strickland that evened things at 12-12 by the second quarter.

Ogden lacked the same substance it opened the night with over the next eight minutes, turning the ball over twice amid an 0-for-3 shooting run, though still managing a 16-all dance with the Longhorns as the second quarter dipped to roughly three minutes.

Tied at 18 with just 55 seconds left in the half, Ogden junior Tayson Porter fouled West Field junior Daxton Laughter at the rim for a free possession, resulting in Slaugh’s first 3-pointer of the night. The senior guard, found by a teammate off another miss by the Tigers, hit another to exit the half and push West Field up nine at the break.

Slaugh totaled 14 points in the first half. Asked about the last-second surge, he said West Field’s guards bring plenty of speed behind their smaller size.

“Since we’re all a little smaller, we’re all a little quicker,” Slaugh said. “It helps us with our on-ball defense and we can guard other teams’ guards pretty proficiently.”

Ogden head coach Trent Porter acknowledged that even with West Field’s late push before halftime, his two-post setup featuring Strickland and Kirkland grew fatigued after the first half.

“We knew they were going to come and double our bigs,” Porter said. “We’ve been working on passing out, what’s our action on the big’s catch. That goes back to them being young and we need to do a better job of executing and getting them some help.”

Chipping away at their deficit, Ogden pulled within five on another Strickland 3-pointer with three minutes to go in the third quarter. Those efforts quickly evaporated as the Tigers left multiple chances on the court and Faddis’s four fourth-quarter points rebuilt a 13-point West Field lead.

West Field later raised its lead to 20 with four minutes left. Ogden junior Briggs Galbraith hopped off the bench for a late 3-pointer, but Harrison answered with one of his own.

Handed their third loss, Ogden now prepares for a three-game tournament in Idaho beginning Jan. 2 with an opponent yet to be determined.

“I’m still OK with who we are,” Porter said. “When you play a team like (West Field), it makes it tough but I like where we’re at. I feel like we can build off where we’re at right now.”

West Field plays in the holiday break with a road trip to Box Elder on Saturday, Dec. 28.

BOX SCORE

West Field 12 15 14 16 — 57

Ogden High 12 6 10 8 — 36

WF (57): Slaugh 24, Harrison 11, Faddis 8, Laughter 8, Fowers 4, Shaw 1, Gerace 1.

OHS (36): Maw 13, Strickland 8, Wilson 6, Moore 3, Galbraith 3, Crowton 3.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.