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Wolverines on track for top finish

Jan 30, 2019 12:15PM ● By Greg James

Junior Angel Lui is the Wolverines leading scorer, a two-year starter she is averaging 12.3 points per game.

By Greg James |  [email protected] 

Contention amongst the teams in Region 2 for its girls basketball crown is heated, competitive and sometimes bruising.

Hunter High School head coach Cameron Gardner has high expectations for this year’s team.

“We have been up and down,” Gardner said. “We have had some good games and some bad games so far this season. We just need to be able to put a full game together.”

Gardner has been at the school for three seasons. His first summer conditioning camp he had only a handful of girls participate. He now has a team that could contend for a region title.

“From the time that I have been here we have progressively gotten better each season. We only have ourselves to trip us up from here on out,” Gardner said.

Gardner was hired in 2016 and the team only won two region games. In 2017 they won four and this season they have split their four games so far (2-2). 

The team is in for some tough competition in Region 2. On Jan. 8 they faced cross-town rival Granger for the first time this year. It was a bruising contest. The teams shot combined 43 free throws. Hunter led at halftime 26-22, but the Lancers mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter for the 55-41 victory. 

“Region 2 is going to be like that. Every game is going to be a battle. No one is going to show up and be the clear or dominant team. Region 2 is going to be a struggle. We will certainly not give up. It is someone different every night for us. It is a great thing to have. We don’t need to rely on one player all of the time, but some nights like against Granger we can’t get it done,” Gardner said.

The Lancers outscored the Wolverines by 16 points in the fourth quarter. Despite the fourth quarter meltdown seven players scored on the night, led by Teya Gasu’s 11 and Bianca Cuevas’ 10.

Junior Angel Lui leads the team in scoring averaging 12.3 points per game. Justine Aiono is the team's leading rebounder with 4.5 per game.

In Region 2 basketball the teams all play each other three times. They are scheduled to play Granger again Friday Jan. 25 and Feb 12. The games remaining against Cyprus could be equally important (Jan. 15 and Feb. 1).

“Good thing about playing each team three times is that we have all of our goals in front of us still,” Gardner said. 

The Utah High School Activities Association state basketball tournament is scheduled to begin Feb. 18 at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.

Gardner is in his third season as Wolverines head coach. He graduated from Utah State University where he was a walk-on basketball player. He graduated high school from Box Elder. 

“I love these girls to death. They work their butts off. They are just a little ways from being a great team. I am excited and hope we get there. I would not want to be anywhere else,” he said.