Kearns, Taylorsville girls on collision course
Five games isn’t much to predict how the remainder of the season will go, but Kearns and Taylorsville High’s girls basketball teams appear headed for a battle once the Region 2 season begins.
The Cougars and Warriors have each started the new season 2-3, with each team averaging about 43 points per game. While Taylorsville has allowed 57 points per game thus far, two of those were against last year’s 5A finalists Syracuse and Alta, who each posted 75 on the Warriors. Meanwhile, Kearns, led by BYU signee Micaelee Orton, has allowed 51 points per game.
Taylorsville
The Warriors have defeated Copper Hills 53-43 and Davis 41-38 (overtime), and lost to Syracuse 75-48, Alta 75-39 and American Fork 54-39 in action thus far.
Whitney Mitchell has averaged 16 points in those games, while Siu Lo’amanu averages seven points, Abi Black six points and Karlee Jensen and Pela Tapusoa five points apiece.
Mitchell had 17 points and Black 14 against Copper Hills. Tapusoa added seven points, and Lia Tia and Lo’amanu each had six points, as the Warriors led 31-21 at halftime. Jensen and Mitchell each scored 10 points in the loss to Syracuse. Tapusoa had nine points and Black contributed eight, as Taylorsville trailed 40-16 at halftime before finding its rhythm.
Mitchell paced the Warriors against Alta with 17 points. Lo’amanu had seven points, Tia six and Jensen five, as Taylorsville trailed 36-14 at halftime and 58-30 after three quarters. Mitchell tallied 22 points and Jensen and Lo’amanu had five apiece in the overtime win against Davis. Taylorsville trailed 20-18 at halftime, but outscored the Darts 11-6 in the fourth quarter and 9-6 in overtime.
Mitchell had 15 points and Lo’amanu 12 in the loss to American Fork.
Taylorsville finished 13-7 overall and 9-3 in region last season, losing to Cottonwood in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors were scheduled to host Murray on Dec. 13 before a rematch with Cottonwood the following night.
Kearns
The Cougars lost their first three games of the season – Lone Peak 58-42, Davis 48-30, Bingham 73-40 – but rebounded to win their last two, defeating Highland 53-38 and West Jordan 48-40.
Orton has averaged 15 points per game thus far, while Rachel Graham has averaged 11 points and Tala Faumui five. No other Kearns player averages more than two points per game.
Orton totaled 10 points, six rebounds and seven steals in the loss to Lone Peak. Graham had eight points and C’era Valdez seven. Graham made three 3-pointers and had 13 points and Faumui had 10 points against Davis, which led 23-18 at halftime. Orton totaled 19 points and 12 rebounds against Bingham, while Floryn Leituala and Ayana Solovi each had six points and Graham five.
Kearns broke out of its funk against Highland, as Orton collected 23 points and nine rebounds. Graham had 11 points and five steals and Rosetta Kasala had nine points, as the Cougars led 26-12 at halftime and 35-21 after three quarters. Orton finished with 21 points against West Jordan, while Graham had 16 points and Faumui six for Kearns, which led 22-16 at halftime and 36-25 after three quarters.
Kearns finished 9-12 overall and 6-6 in region last season, losing to Viewmont in a play-in game to make the playoffs. The Cougars were scheduled to host Lehi on Dec. 13 and Clearfield on Dec. 15.
