Morgan boys basketball loses 69-59 to Judge to end season in 3A second round

With Judge Memorial in red looming like some albatross across the timeline, the Morgan Trojans boys’ basketball team began this 3A second-round game at home Saturday, Feb. 18 with a plan. 

Get an inside-outside game going early and try to confuse Judge’s taller starting five into leaving Morgan’s guards open for good looks and when conditions warrant, slip passes into Mason Williams and Bracken Saunders. 

That plan worked for two quarters, as lone senior Derrick Tilby had already recorded his third three-point basket in a game being played at a rocket’s pace. The one they call “Tibbles” had nine points, and Saunders had 10 – all from dishes inside as the sophomore called bank each time. 

With Morgan [12-12] the No. 8 seed ahead by the score of 20-13 after one quarter and 31-30 at the half, the second half started out like the game did. 

Three lead changes in the first 1:30 of the third punctuated another frantic start as Morgan worked the ball inside – then kicked it back out – to try and take control of the game. 

Two missed shots, however, resulted in No. 9 seed Judge’s biggest lead since the first quarter at 33-36 with 5:15 left in the third. 

That’s when Kolton Asay made the play of the game, wriggling free and burying a three from the M logo at center court to tie it at 36. But, the visitors ripped the cords twice from downtown SLC to put the Trojans in a six-point hole at 36-42 with 3:52 left in the third. 

Judge scored again with 3:29 in the third on a layup, and Saunders got a layup to stop an 8-0 Judge run. 

Then Judge knocked down another three-point shot to take their largest lead of the game, at 38-47 with 2:08 left in the third quarter. 

Tilby snuck inside down low though to get his 15th point to keep it at 40-47, a seven-point deficit in this all-or-nothing 8 vs. 9 single-elimination game. 

Asay cut out an entry pass to give Morgan an opportunity but a missed three from Asay and a transition fast break the other way freed Judge on a layup, putting Morgan at a 40-49 disadvantage as the third quarter came to a close. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Ben Russell scored his first bucket of the game to cut the Judge lead to seven at 42-49. But, a Morgan turnover after a Judge miss resulted in one of the wackiest sequences of the game: a miss from three, another miss, and another three-point heave – the third one good for Judge, who was torching the Trojans in the second half. 

Trailing 42-52 with 6:20 to play, a three-point attempt from Asay bounced out. 

With 4:02 left in the game, the Trojans were taking their first free throws of the game. Tilby made one, but Judge’s 11th three sank the Trojans hopes and Morgan’s season. For the Trojans, Tilby led the way with 16 points while Asay had 14. Saunders scored 10 points and Williams four, while Russell and Brody Peterson added two apiece. λ