SYRACUSE — For more than three and a half quarters, Syracuse High senior guard Kaden Ericksen hadn’t had much of an impact in the Titans’ boys basketball game against Bonneville on Wednesday evening, scoring six points.

Then, with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Ericksen made a twisting, fall-away, turn-around jump shot from the left angle, putting the Titans up by two and breaking a 46-46 tie.

That shot started a 6-0 run and Syracuse held on for a 52-49 non-region over the Lakers in a back-and-forth affair.

“I shot a few of those earlier and didn’t hit them, which killed my confidence a little bit, but my teammates kept telling me next shot, next shot,” Ericksen said. “I worked on that a lot this summer; it’s hard to guard if you can get better at it. It’s probably one of my signature moves.

“I was able to get that shot off; I was in the right place and the defense was showing us the right read and I just took it.”

Ericksen finished the night with eight points and kept the Titans (2-0) from wasting a huge effort by center Brevin Hamblin, who scored a game-high 22 points. Carter Semrow also netted double digits for the Titans with 10 points.

Bonneville (0-2) led 15-11 after one period but the Titans had begun a 17-5 run at the end of the first quarter that gave them a 26-20 edge late in the second stanza.

Hamblin had nine points during that run and scored 14 points in the first half. Syracuse went into the locker room up 28-25.

Neither team had more than a four-point advantage in the third quarter and Bonneville again took a lead at 40-38 after three. Nate Burdett scored eight points in the quarter, including a pair of treys to open the period that gave the Lakers a 31-30 lead early on.

With all of the discussion about a shot clock in high school basketball this year, there was not one in this game. Syracuse used a portable shot clock in its home game last week, but the UHSAA banned it for use Wednesday until a permanent one could be installed. Several other area schools are still awaiting their shot clock installations as well.

Interestingly, both teams held the ball for extended periods of time in the fourth quarter when a shot clock would certainly have changed their approach.

“We have practiced with a shot clock; I like it, we like to play fast and push the tempo,” Erickson said. “It was a little weird not playing with it tonight after using it in our first game. It would have sped both of us up and definitely could have changed the game at the end a little bit, so we could relax and just hit our free throws.”

Kane King and Semrow both went 2 for 2 from the free-throw line after Ericksen’s acrobatic jumper to put the game on ice for the Titans.

Bo Dixon had nailed a 3-pointer with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter for the Lakers, tying the game at 46, and setting the stage for Ericksen’s heroics.

Dixon then made another 3 at the buzzer to account for the final score of the game.

Burdett paced the Lakers with 16 points and Dixon checked in with 13, including a trio of threes.

PLEASANT GROVE 53, DAVIS 46

KAYSVILLE — Pleasant Grove was plus-12 at the foul line and won the second quarter 13-8 to edge Davis.

Kaden Eggett led Davis (1-1) with 17 points, adding six rebounds. Colby Whicker scored 11 points, Coleman Atwater 10 and Zach Fisher added five points and nine rebounds.

AMERICAN FORK 84, VIEWMONT 57

BOUNTIFUL — Visiting American Fork raced to a 21-9 lead in the opening frame and cruised to a win over Viewmont, shooting 36 of 58 (62%) from the field.

Scott Noel scored 16 points to lead Viewmont (0-2). Jaxon Heusser scored eight points and Trevor Green added seven.

GIRLS: BEAR RIVER 52, MALAD 40

MALAD, Idaho — Bear River went on the road to Idaho and defeated Malad High School in its season opener Tuesday night on the strength of an 18-point fourth quarter.

Gracie Riley led Bear River (1-0) with 13 points. Lexi Westmoreland scored 11 points and Aubree Fry added 10.

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