By Kale Nelson, Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games
CEDAR CITY, Utah (June 27, 2025) – Fantomz and Ignited earned gold medal honors at the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games 8th-grade basketball championships on June 28 in the America First Event Center.
Fantomz fends off Beat the Odds Elite White in 43-36 overtime clash
Layups from Beat the Odds’ Ryker Bennett and Tristen Johnson boosted the team to an early lead, but Fantomz tied it up quickly with back-to-back scores. Adding to a strong individual start, Fantomz star Caden Chandler drained another basket to put the reigning champs ahead 6-4. For the Fantomz, Johnnie Slade scored on two straight jumpers to force a timeout nearly halfway through the first period.
Beat the Odds put an end to their drought as both teams began to catch fire offensively, exchanging scores. With impressive perimeter shooting from multiple players, Beat the Odds cut their deficit to five. Entering halftime, the game remained a tight 19-14 matchup.
Kicking off the second half, Johnson powered through contact for an early “and-one” to bring his team within a single score. Chandler snatched a steal and scored to cap off a 6-2 run for the Fantomz, but Preston Burnett kept Beat the Odds alive with two baskets. On back-to-back scores, Johnson brought the game to a 25-25 tie for the first time since the scoreboard read 4-4.
Another foul-drawing basket from Johnson gave Beat the Odds their first lead of the second half at 30-29, but the Fantomz were hardly out of steam. The teams traded scores and the lead as the clock ticked down, but Beat the Odds held the momentum amid an outstanding comeback. Down three with a minute left, Fantomz’s Creed Kay sank a game-tying triple to push for overtime.
In the extended battle for gold, Robby Dupuy added five Fantomz overtime points to push to a five-point lead, before Beat the Odds began fouling out of necessity. Kay added two more points on his free throws to close the 43-36 showdown.
Ignited rolls to 41-20 win over CV Foxes
Ignited burst out to a solid start in the contest, scoring the first ten points and adding a nasty block from Ellie Curtis. CV’s Kyndal Halgren finally got the ball rolling for the Foxes, sinking a deep triple and a jumper to tally five points for her team.
The offensive output and lockdown defense of Ignited put them at a clear advantage in the game, as they rallied to a huge 19-5 lead with eight minutes left in the first half. A long three from Ava Anderson piled even more points into Ignited’s great 24-7 start.
The Foxes opened the second-half scoring, but Ignited continued their onslaught, extending to a 20-point lead. By the end of the matchup, Ignited locked up a 41-20 win.