The Timpview Thunderbirds buried Tooele's boys basketball team in the second half Tuesday by outscoring the Buffs 43-18 and coasting to a 79-44 victory. Tooele managed to stay withing striking distance and trailed 36-26 at intermission until the Thunderbirds turned it on in the second half.

Tooele's record plummeted to 0-8 in region and a 3-14 overall. Timpview improved to 6-3 in the region and jumped into second place behind region leader Provo. Things do not get any easier for the Buffs when they travel to No.1-ranked Provo tonight.

Five Tooele juniors hit three-point baskets in the game. Those players included Boone Baird, Tanner Stuart, Matt Trussell, Jake Dalton and Taylor Hunt. Another junior, Jordan Clemente, led the Buffs in scoring with eight points. Scoring totals included Baird 5, Stuart 5, Trussell 5, Wihongi 4, Dalton 3, Chase Banks 2, Mitch Eyre 2 and Hunt 3.

Bronson Kafusi led Timpview with 16 points.

Tooele was outscored from the foul line 24-1. Timpview shot 24 of 30 from the line while the Buffs hit 1 of 4.

Timpview 80, Tooele girls 46

In the earlier game, the Tooele girls faced the No.1 ranked Timpview Lady T-Birds. While the Tooele boys were defeated by 35 points, the Tooele girls lost by 34.

Alexis Kafusi and Gabrielle Pinegar combined for 47 points for the top-rated 4A girls team in the state while Tooele's top two guns were Alexis Bird with 16 and Meredith Nigh with 13.

Timpview outscored Tooele in every quarter leading 24-10 after one quarter, 41-19 after two and 59-30 after three.

Corinne Bird scored 5, Mattie Snow 4, Lauren Lescanec 4, Teshia Haskell 3 and Sharon Lymon 1.

Alexis Bird and Lescanec paced the team in rebounds with a combined 16 caroms. Alexis Bird hauled down seven defensive boards and two offensive rebounds. Lescanec gathered in five defensive rebounds and two offensive boards. Nigh came away with three steals and Haskell was tops in assists with two.

The girls also face Provo Thursday, a team they trailed by only three points at halftime in the first meeting. Tooele ended up losing that game 67-57

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com