Smithfield, Utah — The Sky View boy’s basketball team rebounded from its loss at Logan with a win over the Bees of Box Elder High, 57-49 Thursday night. Senior Casey Oliverson scored a game-high 19 points in the win.

“We played really unselfish,” Oliverson said. “We passed the ball a lot and hit the open guy. We pulled back when we had the big lead, but we got back in gear.”

Junior Ty Nielsen led a fast start for the Bobcats, and scored six straight points as Sky View opened up a 15-2 advantage in the first five minutes of play. Box Elder struggled shooting from the field in the first quarter, finishing with only two field goals and a pair of free throws.

The Bees responded in a big way in the second quarter. Physical post play prevented Oliverson from controlling the post, and Box Elder chipped into the deficit one basket at a time. With just over three minutes remaining, senior Steven Diderickson gave the Bees their first lead at 24-23.

Poor free throw shooting hurt the Bobcats in the first half, as Sky View converted on four of its 11 attempts from the line. Box Elder scored 21 points in the second quarter and held the Bobcats to nine.

“We got a lot of nice, easy shots,” Hillyard said. “(Box Elder) called a time-out, made some adjustments, and took some things away from us. Shots stopped falling, but we did some good things and were unselfish.”

Neither team was able to find an offensive rhythm in the third quarter.

In a physical battle, junior Jalen Moore stepped up for the Bobcats. Moore overcame a slow first half and completed a three-point play to tie the game at 31. Another 3-point play from Nielsen put Sky View ahead by one, but the Bees hit a free throw to tie the game at the end of the third quarter.

Sky View finished the game the way it started.

The Bobcats started the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, and Box Elder would never recover. Senior guard Kolby Quayle stopped the drought for the Bees with a jump shot, but it was too little too late. Box Elder turned the ball over on its ensuing possession and Moore finished the fast-break with a dunk to put Sky View up by 10 with under four minutes remaining.

Quayle finished with 17 points to lead the Bees.

A minute later Moore completed another 3-point play, tipping in a pass from Oliverson as a Box Elder defender collided with him, and the lead was 11. The Bobcats hit all four of their free throw attempts in the final minute, and Oliverson finished the game with a statement dunk.

Sky View was perfect from the free throw line in the second half, and had three players in double digits in scoring as Moore and Nielsen finished with 16 and 15 points.

“It was a matter of patience,” Hillyard said. “Jalen did a better job of attacking the basket and not settling for the jumpshot.”

With the win, the Bobcats improved to 12-3 overall, and 4-1 in region play.

Up next for Sky View is a visit to cross-town rival Mountain Crest on Wed. February 1 at 7 p.m.