Winless in Region 3 and trailing by 10 at halftime of the Jan. 24 game at Jordan, Copper Hills boys basketball coach Kent Smith laid it all on the line.
Smith screamed, pounded the lockers and challenged his team’s toughness. Then he told the Grizzlies that if they didn’t come out and have a phenomenal second half, they would be sitting home at tournament time.
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Copper Hills’ Lazenby excels
Averaging 11 points on the season, Copper Hills forward Tyler Lazenby erupted for 23-second half points in a must-win road game at Jordan on Jan. 24.
Lazenby is averaging 18 points per game over his past three, including 17 against Alta on Friday.
Copper Hills coach Kent Smith challenges the Grizzlies with the mantra “Tough Players Win.”
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After having scored just 1 point in the first half, 6-foot-1 Tyler Lazenby heard Smith’s words loud and clear. Lazenby scored 23 points in the second half and Copper Hills claimed a 61-59 win.
"There was a lot of pressure going into that game because we knew we had to win," said Lazenby. "As a senior, I just felt I had to give everything I had."
Smith sat back and watched as Lazenby dropped a 3-poiner, hit a couple of elbow jumpers, reached back for a spectacular tip-in and scored an off-balance layup.
Three nights later, Lazenby scored 14 and teammates Dylan Carter and Bryson Allen combined for 21 as the Grizzlies won a second Region 3 road game — 52-41 at Cottonwood.
"We’re pretty good when our guards hit enough outside shots and Bryson scores in the post," said Smith."Tyler is our wild card, and he has to be a creative scorer that makes the other team think about stopping one player."
The Grizzlies’ 2-4 region record does not begin to tell the tale of this squad. Copper Hills led powerhouses West Jordan and Alta in the fourth quarter in early region games and had a 1-point loss to Brighton on Jan. 20. The close losses have Lazenby and his team a bit frustrated.
"It was really hard to deal with having leads in the fourth quarter and just watch them slip away," he said. "I think we just need to keep our intensity up, move the ball around and play defense the way we know we can."
With Copper Hills and Jordan coming into the week tied with 2-4 region records, Friday’s rematch at Copper Hills suddenly becomes a gigantic game.
"Jordan is a really good squad, so I just hope our crowd is into it and gives us that extra incentive to play hard," Lazenby said.
Copper Hills hosts West Jordan on Tuesday before heading to Brighton next Friday.
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