Woods Cross, Viewmont and Farmington boys basketball teams got in some final games before Christmas. With the region battles set to begin soon, any additional opportunities to work out any kinks are welcome. 

Woods Cross

The Wildcats traveled to Green Canyon and made the most of the trip on Dec. 22. Woods Cross came away with a 62-51 win to move to 6-2 on the season. It was the fifth win in a row for the Wildcats. 

A strong fourth quarter made all the difference for Woods Cross.

The Wildcats overcame a poor second quarter in which they were outscored 13-5 to tie the game at 42-42 heading into the final six minutes. Woods Cross trailed at halftime 25-22. In the fourth quarter, it was all Woods Cross, outpacing Green Canyon 20-9 to win the game. The Wildcats struggled from the foul line, hitting just six of 13 shots. However, the team shot better than 50% from the field. 

Keegan Phung led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding, pouring in 17 points and pulling down 10 boards. Alex Earl had 13 points, and Mason Bendinger and Jaxon Smith each had 10 points. 

Woods Cross took part in the Utah Autism Holiday Classic. The Wildcats faced Skyline and Mountain Ridge on Dec. 28 and 29, respectively. Both games were after our press deadline. 

Viewmont

The Vikings played just once last week but defeated Syracuse 71-60 to run its winning streak to three games. The 4-3 Vikings also participated in the Utah Autism Classic. Viewmont played against Mountain Ridge on Dec. 28 followed by a challenge against Olympus on Dec. 29 and then a game against Murray on Dec. 30. On New Year’s Eve, the Vikings tip off against Park City. 

Against Syracuse last week, Viewmont turned the tables in the second quarter. Viewmont trailed 17-9 after the first six minutes but exploded for a 29-12 run before halftime. The 38-29 halftime advantage increased to 54-44 after three quarters. 

Scott Noel paced the team with 20 points. Garret Tietjen had 15 points, while Brash Emery chipped in 13 points and dished out five assists. 

Farmington

The Phoenix dropped to 4-6 on the year after going 1-2 a week ago in the Corner Canyon Christmas Invitational. The tournament actually began the previous Saturday with Farmington losing to Pleasant Grove 77-76. 

The Phoenix bounced back on Dec. 21 with a 77-73 overtime win over Timpanogos. Farmington tallied 23 points in the overtime period. The team had scored just 16 points in the first half and trailed by 11 points at halftime. Collin Chandler had 30 points, four assists and three steals in the victory. Caleb Mordue added 18 points. 

The following day, Farmington came up short against Cyprus, losing 66-62 despite Chandler’s 16 points. On Dec. 23, the Phoenix lost to Timpview 62-48. Truman Hendry had 14 points in the defeat. 

Farmington hosted East on Dec. 30, after our press time in the team’s final game of 2020.