BEAR RIVER HIGH- By Tate Atkin, Headliner Sports Editor, January 18, 2023
The Bears started 2023 with a road trip to Salt Lake City with a game against Judge Memorial High on January 4. They started the year the way they ended last year, with a win, defeating the Bulldogs, 66-50.
Bear River was led by junior Kyver Jensen, who was effective in all aspects of the game. He led the Bears in scoring with 25 points, making 3 of 4 three pointers. He also led the team with 2 steals on defense while adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists to his stat line. Junior Gehrig Marble added 13 points and 3 rebounds while junior Brayden Ritter scored 10 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
After a week-long break, the Bears were back in action as the started region play against one of the best teams in the state, the high-powered Sky View High Bobcats in Smithfield on January 12. The Bears fell behind early as they were trailing, 18-10, after the first quarter.
The second and thirds quarters saw the Bears struggling to score as they scored a combined 13 points between the two quarters. A high-scoring fourth quarter made the score closer, but the Bears lost to the Bobcats, 59-42. Jensen again led the Bears in scoring with 15 points on the scoreboard for the night.
Story continues below...
The Bears continued to battle on the road at Ridgeline High on January 17, to take on the Riverhawks in Region 11 play. A slow start for Bear River proved to be the difference in the Bears loss to Ridgeline as they trailed, 15-7, after the first quarter. They fought back and kept it close throughout, even outscoring the Riverhawks in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling to Ridgeline, 55-50.
Jensen, the Bears' leading scorer this season, continued his high scoring output with 20 points with junior Bridger Barfuss adding 13 points of his own.
Check out the Bear River vs. Ridgeline game, courtesy of Bear River Live, on the links below.
The Bear River High boys' basketball team will now turn their attention to a two-game home stand as they host Mountain Crest High on Thursday, January 19. They will then host the Grizzlies from Logan High on January 24. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Be sure to watch Bear River Live's livestreaming coverage of the Bear River vs. Mountain Crest game on January 19, on the links below.
Photos by John Fronk
