Teamwork is the key for the Silverwolves girls to compete for region title

The 2011-12 girls basketball season began with many of the same results for Riverton. Winning games has become a habit.

“Our goals stay the same pretty much the same from year to year. We want to become good enough throughout the season to compete for a region and state championship,” coach Ron Ence said.

The team has a strong nucleus returning this year. Its opponents will have to focus on eight or nine players that can score every game. Morganne Campbell, a 5-foot-9-inch guard, Lauren Bond, a 5-foot-10-inch guard, and Gerika Ballard, a 5-foot-10-inch forward, had the majority of the starts last year as Ence constantly shuffles his starting lineup. Whitney Saunders is the team’s leading scorer with 10.5 points a game this season.

The team has five players currently averaging over five points a game; Bond (6.5), Ballard (5.5), Campbell (5.8), Jamie Smith (5.8) and Saunders.

“Everyone has their night; we score evenly. The other team never knows who to guard like Whitney is great in the paint [close to the basket],” senior Morganne Campbell said.

On Dec. 8, the Riverton defense held the number one ranked Alta Hawks to only 10 points in the first half. Alta’s head coach Kristi Jensen commented that the Riverton trap defense is tough and teams will need to prepare just for that Alta eventually won the game 46-42.

“Defense is the biggest thing. If they can’t score, then we can win,” Campbell said.

The team has allowed only 36.7 points a game this season. That is only topped by an undefeated Layton team in 5A.

Preseason games with competition like Taylorsville, Brighton and Alta have helped to prepare the team for a tough region schedule.

In the last five years Region 4 opponents American Fork and Bingham have both won state championships and Pleasant Grove and Riverton have played in the championship game. Throw in stiff competition from Lone Peak and it will be tough to qualify for the state tournament. Last year’s 20-win season will be hard to top.

“We are excited to be in such a tough region,” Ence said.

The 2011-12 varsity roster includes Gerika Ballard, Lauren Bond, Mallory Bostic, Morganne Campbell, Tess Campbell, Chelsey Taylor, Pume Currie, Andy Denos, Harley Glad, Morgan Littlewood, Elyssa Marchant, Rachel McDougal, Whitney Saunders, Jamie Smith, Kirsten Spencer, Whitney Saunders and Jamie Thomas.

The Silverwolves are scheduled to begin region play Jan 10 at Pleasant Grove. The state tournament begins Feb 21 at Salt Lake Community College.