Career night for Lofthouse not enough for Mountain Crest – Cache Valley Daily

Preston Lofthouse. Photo by Tina Lerohl

HYRUM – Mountain Crest found themselves facing a double digit deficit, down 16-6 to Wasatch after the first quarter, and couldn’t claw back despite Preston Lofthouse scoring a career high 31 points. Lofthouse scored all 12 fourth quarter points for the Mustangs but the Wasps had three players in double digits and had a response for every run on the way to a 62-49 win (watch the replay here).

The Mustangs had just as many turnovers as points (six) in the first quarter and had to try and come back from another early double digit lead. Mountain Crest could not mount a sustained run, cutting the lead to five or six before turning it over and going back down double digits. This was despite Mountain Crest winning the turnover battle, 15-17, and making double digit free throws for the first time all season, going 13-19. Oliver Nethercott added 12 points as well, but only four players scored for the Mustangs.

Against the Mustangs’ man-to-man defense Mitch Lind scored all 13 of his points in the first half for Wasatch. Mountain Crest switched to a 3-2 zone, and stuck in that defense for most of the second half, and Joe Wunder scored 10 of his 14 in the second half, including two 3-pointers. Against the zone the Wasps hit four of their five threes on the night. Season leading scorer Tucker Englebright finished with a team high 15. Wasatch was 7-11 from the charity stripe, and were 5-7 in the final quarter despite shooting 66.7% on the season.

Mountain Crest was coming off their first game with three double digit scorers, Lofthouse, Nethercott and Karson Falslev, but Falslev did not score on the night. Karson sat most of the second half with Joseph Hunsaker and Miles Croshaw taking his minutes. Both were scoreless and the bench, in general, continues to struggle to contribute. Senior Garrett Austin, who has regularly started, was also not at the game.

Mountain Crest closes out non-region play at Morgan Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on 107.7 KLZX and video streamed here on Cache Valley Daily.