Richland boys knock off nationally ranked team to win Utah tourney
The Richland boys basketball team is not one to back down from a challenge.
Facing one of the top teams in the nation Saturday in the championship game of the Great Western Shootout, Cole Northrop stepped up with 31 points to lead the Bombers past Wasatch Academy 67-66 in Orem, Utah.
“We had a good team win,” Richland coach Earl Streufert said. “They were large and strong. We beat three really good teams down there. When your guys play well together, you can see what they can do.”
Wasatch Academy of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, was ranked 15th in USA Today’s Super 25 Preseason Boys Basketball rankings in mid-November, and still were 15th in Week 2.
Richland jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the game, thanks in part to a couple of technical foul free throws because Wasatch was dunking during warmups.
The Bombers (5-0) led 32-24 at the half, then the Tigers got to work.
“They got physical, took the lead, and we took it back,” Streufert said. “They had the ball with 10 seconds to play and went for a 3 to tie it. We forced an off-balanced shot and they tipped it in. It wasn’t enough. We came out with a big win over one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.”
Richland got a superb defensive effort from Ryan Wagar, who was tasked with defending Wasatch’s 6-foot-7 Bernardo Da Silva, one of the top players in California last year. Da Silva was held to 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting.
“Ryan and Garrett (Streufert) were strong defensively,” Coach Streufert said. “It was a tremendous team effort. Ryan was a catalyst today. He was phenomenal.”
Wagar added 14 points, while 7-3 senior Riley Sorn had 10 points four rebounds.
“Riley was really effective,” Streufert said. “He was going up against guys who were 7-1, 6-9 and 6-8, and guys off the bench who were 6-10. He was really good. The scoring doesn’t show how well he played.”
The Bombers begin Mid-Columbia Conference play Friday at Chiawana.
WASATCH ACADEMY: Squire 15, Bradley 14, Samuel 6, Penn-Johnson 4, Williams 9, Da Silva 16, Sissoko, Bubanja 2.
RICHLAND: Wagar 14, Sanderson 7, Obermeyer, Streufert 5, McCullough, Mitchell, Northrop 31, Sorn 10.
Wasatch Academy | 17 | 7 | 19 | 23 | — | 66 |
Richland | 23 | 9 | 18 | 17 | — | 67 |
Highlights — Da Silva 9 rebs; Squire 8 assts; Northrop 4 rebs, 5 assts; Sorn 4 rebs, Streufert 4 assts.
This story was originally published December 9, 2017 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Richland boys knock off nationally ranked team to win Utah tourney."