Prep basketball: Morgan boys dominate glass in opening win over West Field
Bracken Saunders leads the floor with 25 points
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- Morgan juniors Jake Hansen (11) and Bracken Saunders (5) swarm West Field junior Daxton Laughter (3) during a home game on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Morgan.
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- West Field junior Cason Malan (21) and Morgan junior Mason Williams (31) contest a jump ball on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Morgan.
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- West Field junior Jaden Fowers (2) defends Morgan junior Josh DeMond (22) during a game Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Morgan.
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- Morgan junior Jake Hansen (11) races down the floor during a home game vs. West Field on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Morgan.
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- The West Field bench celebrates a basket during a road game at Morgan on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Morgan.
MORGAN — Morgan head boys basketball coach Scott Hunt expects his group to win the rebound margin by 10 or more every night.
And while the final rebounding statistics weren’t available at the end of Tuesday’s 68-53 home opener win over 4A challenger West Field, it’s safe to say the Trojans ran the boards.
Three Trojans — junior Bracken Saunders (25 points), junior Jake Hansen (19 points) and senior Kolton Asay (14 points) — dipped into double-figure scoring as Morgan built a 27-point fourth-quarter lead to begin the regular season in the win column.
West Field never quite bowed out, producing 21 points in the fourth quarter guided by senior Jaxon Slaugh (20 points) and a pair of late 3s buried by junior duo Jaden Fowers and Daxton Laughter.
“We had a big fourth quarter lead and we didn’t execute that fourth quarter defensively, or offensively, for that matter,” Hunt said.
Morgan’s commanding fourth-quarter lead was the result of a Trojans squad Longhorns (0-1) head coach Mike Russell considers a tier above average.
“Morgan’s bigger and they’re very athletic, so our guys just tried to jump with them and that’s just not going to happen,” Russell said. “I felt like we missed some shots that we probably should’ve made at close range and that makes it hard when you don’t capitalize.”
Slaugh delivered a game-opening three-pointer in hopes of rallying the troops, but West Field struggled to win the glass throughout the first quarter and soon found themselves trailing by 10 at the end of eight minutes.
A mix of Morgan turnovers and two 3s by Fowers and senior Cole McCormick (three points) trimmed the Longhorns’ deficit to seven shortly before halftime, but a late Fowers turnover fed an 11-point advantage for the Trojans entering the second half.
Pleased with Saunders’ multiplicity across the floor, Hunt hopes to see more of that high motor from Tuesday’s leading scorer.
“(Saunders) could score all three levels and that’s the expectation,” Hunt said. “I’d like to have four guys in double figures but I’d assume Bracken’s going to be one of our leading scorers night in and night out.”
Morgan’s defense clamped down West Field in the third quarter, allowing just eight points and producing 24 on the other end giving Russell’s group a steep climb — one that West Field didn’t take lightly in their school’s first-ever boys contest.
“Even though it got away from us, we never gave up,” Russell said. “The guys competed hard and that’s a good sign. We have some good pieces and we need to settle in.”
Slaugh’s team-high 20 points served as plenty of indication of what Russell’s looking for a point guard, but also admitted there’s plenty of other seats to fill over the course of West Field’s inaugural campaign.
“(Slaugh) is exactly what I expected,” Russell said. “He’s a leader and comfortable with the ball. He wants the ball. We need other guys to step up, and they will … It’s about growth and experience. We’ll get there.”
Morgan travels to Park City on Wednesday and West Field returns home against Roy on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.
BOX SCORE
Morgan 22 12 24 9 – 68
West Field 12 12 8 21 – 53
MHS (68): Saunders 25, Hansen 19, Asay 14, Williams 7, Hurd 3.
WF (53): Slaugh 20, Flowers 10, Malan 6, Harrison 5, Laughter 5, McCormick 3, Faddis 2, Furner 1.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
