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Morgan senior Eva Birkeland (13) and Ogden junior Jill Wood battle for the ball during a game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden junior Jill Wood (51) pressures Morgan junior Kamry Wardell (15) during a game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden junior Salote Tonga, center, stares down her defender, Morgan senior Alexis Burt, left, during a game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Morgan senior Ashley Burt (11) is lifted by her teammates during a road game at Ogden on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Ogden.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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OGDEN — In as little as four minutes, the Ogden girls basketball team found themselves playing a very different game with Morgan on Thursday night on Phil Russell Court.

For 20 minutes, the hungry Tigers played right with a talented Morgan squad that bested them at their house just two weeks ago.

But as the third quarter grew, so did star guard Eva Birkeland’s 18-point performance, and a 61-38 road win for the Trojans (11-8, 5-1 Region 13) went from predictable to reality when the fourth quarter arrived.

Ogden (7-12, 1-5), giving up 23 this time around compared to 38 on the road, continues to navigate a less-than-favorable start to the region schedule having lost five of their last six and with just four regular-season dates remaining on Tigers head coach Andy Blodgett’s calendar.

“From our shootaround this morning we knew it was going to be a game tonight,” Blodgett said. “With a growing (and) maturing team, you always know the day of whether it’s going to be a good night tonight… Tonight we knew it was going to be a battle and they’d be locked in.”

Both Ogden (5 of 19) and Morgan (9 of 19) struggled from the free-throw line, leaving extra points that Blodgett’s Tigers desperately needed on the floor. Ogden also capped Birkeland beneath her nightly average (20.8 ppg) and kept senior Ashley Burt (13 points) from touching the scorebook during the second half.

Morgan’s aggressive, full-court press hampered Ogden’s early looks at the rim but 3-pointers between senior Macy Vine and sophomore Lily Gonzalez kept the Tigers in the conversation, trailing by five at the end of the first quarter. Burt led Morgan’s opening onslaught with 10 first-quarter points.

Leading a 5-0 run to begin the second quarter, Gonzalez added two more 3-pointers over the next eight minutes to keep the Tigers within striking distance of the Trojans. Despite an uptick in steals and turnovers, Ogden failed to generate momentum in transition and found themselves biting heels until the break.

Still, Morgan head coach Sterling Mack left the half impressed with the Tigers’ progression.

“If you play a team once and a team comes back and they’re different, that means they’re doing their work over there,” Mack said. “So kudos to them. … It’s just (Region 13). We’ve got some good teams here, man, and some teams that’ll make some noise in the playoffs.”

Birkeland, hitting just 1 of 6 free throws during the second quarter, bailed out Morgan with a 3-pointer of her own with two minutes to go. The Trojans closed the half with two stops, including a block by Wardell, maintaining a 27-20 buffer.

Aside from a plus-one netted by junior Salote Tonga, Ogden found little from the field to begin the second half. Morgan more than capitalized, leading by eight after four minutes and brewing a strong finish to the third quarter.

Freshman Zoe Rockenfield, hitting two free throws late, made it a 14-point Morgan advantage midway through the third. Tonga answered with a 3-point bucket, and two free throws pulled the Tigers within 11 moments later, but it wasn’t the push the Tigers needed.

Scoreless through two minutes, Ogden let up a 10-0 run emphasized by two 3-point bombs courtesy of Birkeland and junior Bella Nelson to end the third quarter down 18.

Morgan outscored Ogden by a single basket in the fourth quarter, but did so with help across the floor. Nelson, sophomore Makayla Williams and senior Keira Brewer each found contributions to put away their hosts in the final frame.

Ogden freshman Hazel Nadolski hopped off the bench for five late points, including a 3-pointer to join Gonzalez — hitting a game-high four 3-pointers — in the Tigers’ closing perimeter parade.

“Their effort, they gave it all and it just gave out,” Blodgett said. “We couldn’t right the ship when (Morgan) went on that spurt and they hit some big shots. … They have a lot of different shooters and they hurt us, but we weren’t going to let Birkeland score 36 again, either.”

Ogden hosts South Summit (7 p.m.) on Tuesday, Jan. 28; Morgan hosts Grantsville (7 p.m.).

BOX SCORE

Morgan 16 11 22 12 – 61

Ogden 11 9 8 10 – 38

MHS (61): Birkeland 18, Ashley Burt 13, Nelson 8, Brewer 8, Alexis Burt 6, Williams 4, Rockenfield 2, Wardell 2.

OHS (38): Gonzalez 14, Tonga 10, Nadolski 5, Vine 3, Duke 2, Wood 2, Beus 2.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.