Reggie Roberts puts on show for Grantsville with seven 3-point baskets, 31 points,

With Grantsville and Morgan both vying for position in Region 11, their game Friday night had the feeling of a playoff game. Looking to match Morgan’s record in region play with a victory, Grantsville needed to earn a win.

Unfortunately, free throws made a glaring difference for the Cowboys, as they shot 51 percent from the charity stripe. Making only 18-of-35 from the line erased the fact that Reggie Roberts had his best shooting night of the season as Grantsville fell 75-72 at home.

“Free throws are definitely a mental thing,” said Grantsville head coach Shane Heath. “On the year we have done well from the line, just not this game.”

Roberts made seven 3-pointers en route to his 31 points to pace the Cowboys while Jake Roberts finished with 15. While Cody Colson didn’t score many points he did lead the Cowboys in rebounds with 14. Morgan used a balanced scoring attack to win the game led by Braden Saunders with 13 points.

“Reggie’s (Roberts) shooting was the reason we were able to get back into the game near the end,” Heath said.

Morgan came out shooting well in the opening two quarters. Saunders helped pace the Trojans in the first quarter with eight points. But Jake Roberts helped keep the game close with a seven point first quarter followed by five from Reggie Roberts. The Cowboys only trailed 17-16 at the end of the first.

On a night where 75 combined free throws were attempted the officials kept busy in this physical game between rivals. Parker Winchester and Scott Clark helped give Morgan a slight cushion with their four points each. Grantsville got outscored 21-15 in the second and faced a 38-31 deficit heading into the locker room.

The second half turned into the Reggie Roberts show as his teammates recognized that he had the hot hand. Roberts scored 24 second-half points to bring the Cowboys within striking distance.

Still trailing by seven heading into the fourth quarter, Roberts continued to strike for the Cowboys as they brought the game closer. But, once again free throws were a pain for Grantsville as they missed key freebies down the stretch. A last minute 3-point attempt by Roberts fell short in the face of heavy defense to give Morgan the victory.

Coach Heath was a little worried how his team would respond after a 50-point loss to Bear River Wednesday but was pleased with their effort Friday. “I am very pleased with how we came out and competed,” Heath said.

Grantsville will start their second round of Region 11 play by traveling to Ogden Friday with a game time of 7 p.m.

Jake Gordon: jgordon@tooeletranscript.com