BOUNTIFUL -- Ben Aird is regarded as one of the best basketball players in the state. How good is the Bountiful junior? Just ask the Judge Bulldogs. After a relatively quiet first three quarters, big Ben came alive in the waning moments to deliver the Braves their third straight victory after opening the season with two losses.
Judge pulled ahead 41-40 as time wound down in the fourth quarter and it looked like the top team in 3-A was going to knock off their second Davis County team in as many games after defeating Woods Cross last Tuesday.
That's when Aird hoisted his team on his shoulders. Avoiding the temptation to float on the perimeter against 6'8" Noel Hollingsworth, Aird went straight to the block and went to work.
"We took a timeout, and I told the guys, '(Hollingsworth) can't stop me down low'. My confidence is growing, and in the fourth quarter I was in one of those modes where I knew I could do it. I just needed to get the rock," said Aird.
Those words proved prophetic as he scored six straight points to give the Braves the lead for good at 48-43 with 20 seconds remaining.
First came the drop step for two points. Then, Aird flashed the baby hook shot. The next time down court, he spun into the paint for a turn around jump shot.
While displaying a versatile offensive repertoire to the Bulldogs, he was also showing his teammates something far more important; how to finish a basketball game.
He and senior point guard Bret Markowski are the only returning players who were counted on in varsity games heading into the season. That means having a security blanket like Aird to ease his teammates into their substantial talent, critical to the Braves' progression as a team.
Bountiful has struggled at times this season with Aird battling sickness and injury. When he has been in the game, it has been a learning process for his teammates to find how and where to get him the ball.
Perhaps no player in the state is more critical to his team's success than Aird. He is not only the Braves' best player, but is also their emotional leader.
His six straight points in the final minutes of crunch time infused his team with the intensity necessary to shut down the Bulldogs on the defensive end of the floor.
Aird scored 21 points in the game. As good as he was on offense, Markowski was on defense, as he corralled Judge point guard Jaxon Mayer, holding him to only two points in the final three quarters.
Markowski also added 11 points. Sean Carey scored nine for the Braves.
"I love to have (close games) rather than blowouts," said Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell. "They don't give trophies for preseason. If we get better, I'm a happy coach."
With Aird finally at full strength, the Braves put a smile on their coach's face.
bdevoe@davisclipper.com
Post a Comment
