by James Tate
The West Field Longhorns returned to form Friday night, rolling past the visiting Orem Tigers 57–19 to end a three-game losing streak.
Orem struck first when senior Ruth Magele finished a layup for a quick 2–0 lead. From there, however, it was all Longhorns. West Field rattled off the following 18 points of the opening quarter to seize control, building an 18–2 advantage. Senior Kylee Mueller scored six in the frame, while freshman sharpshooter Kenzie Bagby buried a pair of three-pointers to ignite the run. Senior guard Rylee Andreasen orchestrated the offense with crisp passing, setting up layups and open looks.
The Longhorns’ defensive pressure continued to smother the Tigers in the second quarter, forcing turnovers that turned into fast-break points. By halftime, West Field had stretched the margin to 33–7. Mueller and Bagby each tallied 10 points in the first half to pace the Longhorns.
Orem found brief sparks from Cumorah Aiono and Camri Frahm, and senior Bethanie Gines capped the half with a buzzer-beating basket, but the Tigers struggled to find rhythm against West Field’s relentless defense.
Kylee Mueller
Second half: Defense and long-range shooting seal control
In the third quarter, West Field’s defense tightened the screws even further. Kennedee Soloman, Kayohna Holmes, Kail Ercanbrack, Meghan Peterson, Andreasen, and Mueller anchored a relentless effort that forced turnovers and denied Orem clean looks at the basket.
On the offensive end, Bagby stayed hot, pouring in eight points—including back-to-back three-pointers that electrified the home crowd and stretched the lead to 49–13. Freshman Kendyll Kapp added to the barrage with a three-pointer of her own, showcasing the Longhorns’ depth of shooters. Orem found a spark in senior Wendy Woll, who scored all six of the Tigers’ points in the quarter, but her effort wasn’t enough to slow West Field’s momentum.
The Longhorns continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, adding baskets from Mueller and Bagby to close out the contest. Bagby finished as the game’s leading scorer with 22 points, while Mueller added 14 and Meleah Conger chipped in 10. West Field’s defense remained the story, forcing multiple turnovers and making it difficult for the Tigers to generate offense. Relentless pressure and sharp ball movement bode well for the Longhorns as they look ahead.
Despite the lopsided score, the Tigers battled throughout the night, showing resilience even as West Field controlled the pace. The victory lifts the Longhorns back into the win column, while Orem drops to 2–4 in early-season non-region play.
photos courtesy of James Tate
The Hive Sports 
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