By Kale Nelson, SUU Athletics
CEDAR CITY, Utah (May 31, 2025) – The Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games High School Basketball Tournament brought 85 teams to Cedar City in search of gold from May 29-31. At Southern Utah University’s America First Event Center, ten of these teams played in five different championships. Kanab and Enterprise earned gold for the varsity girls, while American Heritage and North Summit took first for the varsity boys.
In addition, Bountiful came out on top during the tournament’s first-ever Unified Championship. This new bracket, composed of teams of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, was incorporated as part of USG’s partnership with Special Olympics Utah in an effort to increase athlete inclusion.
Unified Championship: Bountiful wins 36-21 over Salem Hills for gold in Unified division’s first year
The game opened with a tight battle, as both teams exchanged scores until they matched up at 8-8. Bountiful started to pull away after an impressive scoring spree, pushing to a strong lead after a 10-2 run. The first half concluded with Bountiful leading 20-10.
Salem Hills opened the scoring in the second half, but Bountiful kept rolling, adding seven straight points to the board. Salem Hills started to mount a comeback, scoring three buckets of their own to cut the lead to 10. However, after a 12-point afternoon from star athlete Ryan, Bountiful locked up a 36-21 win.
1A/2A Boys Championship: Triples rain down in the North Summit Braves’ 66-51 victory over the MVS Warriors
MVS opened the game with a quick burst to a 15-9 lead highlighted by Ben Jenson’s proficient shooting, but the Braves pulled together for a solid six-point run, tying the game at 15-15. After a four-point play and two additional threes by North Summit’s Tayton Pace, the Braves stole the momentum, carrying a 38-21 lead into the halftime break.
The Warriors clawed back into the game in the opening of the second period, using a shocking 15-2 run to draw within four of the Braves, but North Summit managed to find a rhythm and keep their lead, securing their success at 66-51.
Pace totaled 30 points by the end of a great team and individual performance. “Breaking down the defense, finding open spots and knocking them down gave us a good advantage,” Pace shared. “This is my first varsity win, so it feels great.”
3A Girls Gold Championship: Kanab Cowboys pull off comeback to down Pine View Panthers in 34-33 nailbiter
Two powerful defensive forces faced off in the 3A Girls Championship between the Cowboys and Panthers. Off to a low-scoring start on the scoreboard, Pine View caught fire from three at the end of the half to take an 18-11 lead.
Rylee Little and Taylin Kelly started the second half scoring for Kanab, tying up the game at 18s. The Panthers continued their outstanding outing from three, led by Reese Gustin with four total triples, but the newfound Cowboy scoring kept them on top through much of the second half. With 1:36 left on the clock, Kanab’s Kelly made a free throw to take the 34-33 win.
Little, who scored half of the Cowboys’ 34 points, said “It took a lot of effort and a lot of hustle to get the win. Our coaches say it best, and they say to keep grinding and keep pushing through and that’s what we did.”
1A/2A Girls Championship: Enterprise Wolves triumph 48-29 in same-day rematch with Firth Cougars
The Wolves and Cougars scored early and often, but Enterprise outlasted Firth to jump to a 16-8 advantage through 10 minutes. Claire Jolley and Baylie Mecham made energizing threes for Firth to cut into the lead, but the Wolves remained ahead 26-18.
Enterprise piled on a 10-0 run to open the second half, mounting a 20-point lead. The Cougars fought to narrow the gap, but Enterprise stayed comfortably ahead to win 48-29.
After racking up 17 points for the Wolves, Eliza Balajadia stated, “It definitely took hard work as a team because we have a lot of younger freshmen playing up with us and we had to improvise. This morning we lost to [Firth] and they put up a really big fight. We came out with a little fire under us and put it together to work as a team.”
3A Boys Gold Championship: American Heritage Patriots take home gold after 73-70 firefight with Westlake Thunder
Westlake’s Caleb Noftle and American Heritage’s Jackson Black exchanged three-pointers to kick off an offensive first half. Both teams logged score after score, with Westlake taking the upper hand in a 38-32 shootout.
In the second half, the Patriots quickly took the lead, with Kade Anderson sinking multiple triples, but Westlake stayed in it during a tense back-and-forth. With under a minute left on the clock, Mana Winitana made a layup to give his team the lead and the 73-70 win.
“When it comes to that shot, it’s all about practicing,” Winitana shared of his late score that capped a 23-point night. “It just takes a lot of time and practice and putting in that work.”
Up Next
USG will hold two more basketball events as part of its 2025 programming. Adult basketball will take place from June 13-14, while youth basketball will be held from June 27-28.
Teams and individuals interested in registering for these and any other sports can sign up at utahsummergames.org.