<strong>BRIGHAM CITY—</strong> Looking to stay alone atop the Region 5 standings, and spoil rival Box Elder’s shot at the state playoffs, Mountain Crest needed regulation and then some, but the Mustangs closed the regular season with an overtime victory on the road, 63-60.
MC’s Tyler Crosbie led all scorers with 18 points, while Tanner Knowles added 16 points and Faimafili Lualu-Pututau finished with 15. The Mustangs held one of 4A’s top scorers, Shad Watson, in check as he finished with only 13 points.
In a game that was expected to be tight throughout, both teams matched each other step for step in each of the first two quarters. Mountain Crest and Box Elder both tallied 14 points in the first and second quarters as the teams headed to the intermission locked up at 28.
Fighting for one of the remaining playoff spots in Region 5, Box Elder came out swinging in the third quarter, as the home team held the Mustangs to six fourth-quarter points and built a seven point lead heading into the final quarter of play.
However, not knowing that valley-rival Sky View was blowing out the region’s second place team, Roy, the Mustangs wanted to make sure they finished the regular season atop the region standings.
Mountain Crest stormed back to knot things up before the end of regulation, and then took control early in the overtime period to fend off the Bees and finish the season with a near perfect 9-1 region record (15-5 overall).
With Logan losing to Bonneville on Wednesday as well, Box Elder and the Grizzlies will face off Thursday night for the final Region 5 playoff spot. The winner of that game will then have to face Provo on Friday night for the opportunity to play Orem in the first round of state tournament.
The Mustangs, who field a team that has multiple players who participated in the 4A State football championship for Mountain Crest, will look to make another postseason run in the 4A basketball tournament. MC will open tournament play on Tuesday, Feb. 26, against Region 8’s fourth seed, which appears to be Maple Mountain, at 12:50 p.m.