Boys basketball: Defense fizzles, Ogden boys fall to Union 42-37 on Senior Night
Tigers lose grip on halftime lead
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- Ogden senior Jackson Maw (25) steers over Union senior Jaxon Adamson (34) for a layup during Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Ogden.
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- Ogden senior Rafe Crowton, left, puts up a deep ball over Union senior Jaxon Adamson during Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Ogden.
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- Ogden junior Jackson Maw (25) calls for the ball against Union senior Jaxon Adamson (34) during Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Ogden.
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- Union senior Connor Olson, left, defends a pass by Ogden senior Brayden Wilson during Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Ogden.
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- Ogden senior Conrad Moore, right, blocks a layup by Union senior Brady Bell (3) during Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Ogden.
OGDEN — In arguably its best defensive showing of the season, Ogden High boys basketball came up short Wednesday to Union 42-37 on Senior Night. A halftime lead dissolved in the fourth quarter as the Tigers stumbled offensively in the waning moments.
Up four to begin the fourth quarter, Ogden (10-12, 2-7 Region 13) lost its footing offensively as the Cougars (14-8, 6-3) leaned on seniors Stetson Duncan and Wayke Olsen to shove off with the heartbreaker after teeing up several opportunities for the Tigers to claw back.
The final nail for the Tigers, trailing by three, came on an inbounds play with roughly 12 seconds remaining. Olsen cut in front of the play Ogden senior Brayden Wilson (10 points) said would’ve given his group a realistic chance at extra minutes.
With the steal, Olsen found Duncan for a layup that rolled out — but not before the whistle blew and Duncan headed back to the free-throw line to shut things down.
“It was just kind of a jumble,” Wilson said. “Everyone was kinda out of control but we still should’ve got the rebound and made a play out of it. We had a play set up to run down and set up one of our plays, but it all got jumbled up.”
Jackson Maw led Ogden’s scoring with 15 points, but the 6-foot-3 forward also played a key role disrupting whatever Union threw at him inside. Sophomore center Ryan Kirkland added to those defensive efforts, registering a block before halftime and adding two points to the scoring.
Ogden’s offense never found its footing but received light support throughout the night. Seniors Conrad Moore (five points) and Rafe Crowton (three points) each made contributions. Wilson said Moore’s willingness to get physical and generate stops was a welcomed theme to the Tigers’ quality start.
“(Moore) didn’t do as much offensively as we would’ve liked but defensively he really stepped it up getting blocks, rebounds, steals — he helped us out on that end,” Wilson said.
Union’s sluggish start didn’t keep Brady Bell from finding two looks he liked in the first quarter, pushing to stay one step ahead of the Tigers offensively. The Cougars pushed Ogden to the edge on the other end, but Maw and Moore each found key baskets keeping things manageable down 14-9 at the end of the first.
Ogden’s defense denied Union a field goal for all eight minutes of the second quarter. Wilson got to work with a hard-fought putback and a 3-pointer, tying things 14-all.
Turning on the press, the Tigers squeezed Union defensively with Kirkland registering a block and turning around for a second-chance bucket off a missed Wilson jumper. The late stops paved the way for an 18-14 Ogden lead at the break.
Union restarted its offense in the third quarter but Ogden found answers via Crowton and Tayson Porter, adding his first points, in helping the Tigers hold steady heading into the fourth quarter. Tanner Womack sank a big-time 3-pointer, pulling the Cougars within four as the third quarter closed.
Pleased with his first-half defense, Ogden head coach Trent Porter said the first-half efforts don’t carry the weight they should considering the second half that followed.
“Any time you hold a team in the forties, you’re going to give yourself a chance,” Trent Porter said. “We look at this and go ‘great D’ but down the stretch not as much. We have to find a way to execute on offense and that’s hard to simulate in practice.”
Olsen added to Ogden’s growing turnover margin, taking a steal to the hole and sending Union up two with 3:28 remaining. Connor Olson buried a 3-pointer to go up five coming out of the Tigers’ second timeout of the fourth quarter.
Ogden profited five points off back-to-back fouls to slide the margin within four with less than two minutes remaining. Bell soon missed two free throws and caught a goaltending violation on the other end, bringing Ogden to within a basket.
Ogden sent Duncan to the free-throw line, where his split free throws kept the Tigers alive — but the ill-fated inbounds play that followed sent the Union senior back to the stripe to finish the job.
“We’ve been playing against those same kids for two years,” Trent Porter said. “They’re good players and really good kids that’re well-coached but once again we’re in the locker room talking about how we’re so close. … I’m proud of my guys, but clearly we need to keep learning and we’re running out of time.”
Ogden closes its regular season Friday at Grantsville.
BOX SCORE
Union 14 0 11 17 – 42
Ogden 9 9 11 8 – 37
UHS (42): Duncan 14, Olsen 13, Womack 5, Bell 5, Olson 3, Adamson 2.
OHS (37): Maw 15, Wilson 10, Moore 5, Crowton 3, Kirkland 2, Porter 2.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
