In a challenging region, the Olympus girls basketball team more than held its own. 

The Lady Titans finished league play with a 7-5 record, tying Alta for third place behind West and Brighton. Overall, Olympus went 12-8 on the year, with the Class 5A state tournament still to come. The tournament tipped off Feb. 18 with first-round games at the home sites of higher-seeded teams. The Titans defeated Northridge before falling to Bountiful in the second round. 

Olympus head coach Whitney Hunsaker believes that playing in a competitive region prepared the team well for the tournament. She is confident that the Titans will be able to go toe to toe with the opponent or opponents they face. 

“I am feeling good about going into state tourney,” Hunsaker said prior to the tournament. “We are right in the middle of the pack, so we may have that ability to go under the radar.”

In region play, Olympus lost twice to West and twice to Brighton and also fell once at Alta, 57-55 on Jan. 17 in a back-and-forth contest. In the rematch on Feb. 7 at Olympus, the Titans got revenge, winning handily, 63-46. 

The Titans had some strong defensive efforts this season. They held six opponents to 46 points or fewer. Perhaps most impressive was a 53-17 thrashing of Highland on Jan. 30. In that victory, Olympus surrendered just seven points in the second half and gave up only six field goals all game. Olympus also allowed just 28 points at home to East on Feb. 11 in a 25-point win. 

Senior guard/forward Joss Baker has been a force all season. 

Baker led the team during the regular season with 20.2 points and 11.2 rebounds a contest. She was tied for fifth in the state in scoring and led 5A in that category. In rebounding, she was second in 5A and sixth in the state. For good measure, she paced the Titans with nearly three steals a game. 

With Baker leading the Titans, Hunsaker liked her team’s chances in the postseason.

“We have Joss Baker who is the leading scorer in 5A, so I think we can do some real great things with her,” Hunsaker said. 

Baker had multiple games this season with double figures in both scoring and rebounding in the same contest. She posted 13 double-doubles, with season highs of 33 points (Dec. 13 against Box Elder) and 16 rebounds (Jan. 24 against Skyline and Feb. 11 against East). She also hit a season-best five three-pointers Jan. 30 at Highland and posted eight steals Jan. 7 at home against Highland. 

But she has had some help along with way. 

Seniors Tessa Cromar and Claire Hazen each average around seven points a game. Cromar also averages 2.6 assists a game. Junior forward Cammie Bontempo scores close to five points a game and is second on the squad with 5.5 rebounds a contest. 

Hunsaker and her players knew they would face some tough competition at state. The Titans would have to pull off some upsets over higher-seeded teams to advance. Still, with good defense and execution on the offensive end, Hunsaker believed Olympus could pick up some postseason victories. λ