‘We never let up’: Northridge boys take Woods Cross to OT, fall short in 5A first-rounder
Sunkuli finishes with 27 points; roundup of playoff action
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- Northridge junior Daniel Sunkuli (3) watches Woods Cross sophomore Madden Johnsen (1) closely during the first round of the 5A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Woods Cross.
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- Left to right: Northridge juniors Daniel Sunkuli (3), Jay Oliver (1), senior Cael Lake (2), and junior Theo Roach (11) walk onto the floor during the first round of the 5A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Woods Cross.
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- Northridge junior Jay Oliver (1) gets a shot past Woods Cross junior Bryson Watson (12) during the first round of the 5A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Woods Cross.
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- Northridge junior Luke Bailey (20) looks for an open pass during the first round of the 5A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Woods Cross.
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- Northridge boys basketball head coach Cameron Wood instructs his team during the first round of the 5A boys basketball playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Woods Cross.
WOODS CROSS — Jay Oliver has some dudes in his corner.
Missing two crucial free throws wasn’t ideal for No. 21 Northridge, down a basket to No. 12 Woods Cross, as the first round of the 5A boys basketball tournament came down to the closing moments. But the junior guard was met with sympathy.
When Madden Johnsen tacked another point onto the Wildcats’ lead and Northridge junior center Luke Bailey’s last-second hock toward the net rolled out — ending the Knights’ season 70-68 in overtime on Tuesday night — everybody felt the same pain.
“We never let up,” senior Cael Lake, ending the night with 19 points, said. “Our team’s strong and we battled back. (Oliver)’s a great player. It’s not on him. It’s not one moment.”
Northridge, ending its latest campaign 9-14 (7-7 Region 5), trailed by as much as 10 during the second half and flirted with a second overtime after Bailey extended regulation from the lane and turned around to thwart a sneaky try by senior Hunter Jackson with three seconds left.
Daniel Sunkuli’s 27 points led the Knights and rivaled Jackson’s game-high 29. Juniors Theo Roach (14), Luke Bailey (12 points) and Oliver (seven points) each played a role in extending the night beyond regulation for Northridge.
Late-overtime antics by Nate Smith-Mecham tested the Knights right down to the final moments when the junior’s putback promoted the Wildcats by one point — that is until Teiyon Halbasch fouled Oliver, making a move down the floor, in a golden scenario to at least force another overtime.
The home crowd and bench did their parts, rattling Oliver enough to sway both baskets clear of the goal and setting up the game-winning push. Lake said communication suffered heavily in the second half and carried into the extra five minutes.
“They went on a run and it’s a game of runs,” Lake said.
Woods Cross began the evening especially cool from the floor and trailed the Knights 13-2 early. The Wildcats more than corrected their early turnovers by stealing back two possessions and cutting to within five to end the first quarter.
Four Knights were already in the scorebook by the second quarter. Sunkuli led Northridge’s second-half production but that was hardly enough to contest Jackson, who scored 10 points in the second quarter alone, and the opposing offense was at full speed.
Jackson and Johnsen fetched the first lead of the night for Woods Cross and grew it to six by halftime, and the need to regroup became paramount for Northridge. Taming the Wildcats briefly in the third quarter, Northridge gave up another run heading into the fourth quarter and found themselves trailing by 10 after being within three just 3 minutes earlier.
Cameron Wood, wrapping up his first season as head coach of the Knights, said the fourth quarter and resulting overtime are proof his group entered the night battle-tested and prepared to leave every ounce of sweat on the floor.
“I think the scoreboard’s a liar,” Wood said. “It doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s been a year of growth, determination and pride to be a Northridge Knight. We fought hard today and that’s how basketball — that’s how life — goes.”
Wood shared senior captain Lake’s sentiment about finishing every game as a team, regardless of the outcome.
“We’ve communicated all year that we win together and we lose together,” Wood said. “One play doesn’t define a game. I made mistakes out there, we all missed shots. You don’t want to look at that as the reason why and I think our boys reinforce that we’re in it together.”
BOX SCORE
Northridge 16 10 13 20 9 – 68
Woods Cross 11 21 17 10 11 – 70
NHS (68): Sunkuli 27, Lake 19, Roach 14, Bailey 12, Oliver 7.
WX (70): Jackson 29, Johnsen 22, Bendinger 16, Halbasch 4, Smith-Mecham 5, Stepan 5.
AMERICAN FORK 59, FREMONT 50
AMERICAN FORK — Easton Hansen hit a 3-pointer to pull No. 18 Fremont to within two points at 46-44 midway through the fourth quarter, but No. 15 American Fork (7-16) ended the game on a 13-6 run for a win in the 6A first round.
Easton Duft scored a game-high 23 points for Fremont (5-18). Hansen hit three treys for his nine points and Dylan Bruce added nine points.
SCORES, NO STATS REPORTED
5A first round: No. 11 Viewmont 55, No. 22 Bonneville 44
GIRLS BASKETBALL
OLYMPUS 53, NORTHRIDGE 52
HOLLADAY — No. 19 Northridge won the fourth quarter 16-8 but the comeback fell just short in a 5A first-round tilt at No. 14 Olympus (13-8) on Tuesday.
Mae Stevenson led Northridge with 19 points and four 3-pointers. Karlee Mayfield added 14 points and Izzy Kap scored seven.
The Knights, who outscored Olympus 30-19 in the second half in the upset bid, end the season with a 9-15 record.
Justin B. Johnson contributed to score reports.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
