In the non-region portion of the season, the Riverton boys basketball season had a stellar 12-1 mark. Region 2 action has proven to be a bit tougher. 

The Silverwolves lost their season opener at Brighton but then reeled off 12 wins in a row. Six of these wins were by double digits. The competitive Region 2, however, offers some challenging opponents. 

Riverton lost its first three league games, beginning with a 53-41 defeat at the hands of Corner Canyon on Jan. 12. The Silverwolves then fell at Bingham, 75-61, on Jan. 16, followed by a 96-93 loss in a thrilling double-overtime contest at home against Herriman. 

Riverton put an end to the streak with a pair of league wins: 89-78 over Copper Hills on Jan. 23 and 63-60 at Mountain Ridge on Jan. 26. 

The Silverwolves’ offense has at times been potent. Riverton scores 64.2 points a game and has hit the 70-point mark five times. 

For the Silverwolves, winning 14 of their first 18 games earned them a No. 5 spot the RPI rankings. This will determine the team’s playoff spot when the postseason begins for the Class 6A tournament Feb. 21. Last season, Riverton fell to Davis in a close second-round game, 46-44, finishing the season at 17-7. 

This season’s version has two players averaging at least a dozen points per game. Ben Barrus, a senior guard, scores 15.2 points per game. Barrus hit double digits 14 times in the first 18 games, with a season-high of 31 in the double-overtime loss to Herriman. He also pulls down more than four rebounds a game and twice recorded nine boards. Junior guard Evan Berrett is the player who makes the Silverwolves’ offense go. He is the leader in assists with nearly three a game and registers 12.2 points a contest as well. His season high in points is 21, which he achieved twice, at Crimson Cliffs on Dec. 15 and in the Herriman loss. 

Senior Kaden Allred scores just under 10 points a game and led the team in three-pointers through 18 games, making 36 up to that point. His most prolific game was against Pleasant Grove on Jan. 9 when he converted on six shots from behind the arc as part of a 26-point effort. Christian Heninger, a 7-foot center scores 6.6 points a game and grabs just over four rebounds. Senior forward Vaughn Johnson averages 6.5 points a game. Meanwhile, senior forward Zach Edwards is a key part of a balanced attack. He averages 7.3 points a game and is the team’s leading rebounder with five boards a contest. Blake Robbins and Ryker Kerkes have also chipped in on both ends of the court. 

A few more wins in the second half of region play should help Riverton maintain or move up in its RPI positioning. The final game before the playoffs for the Silverwolves is at home against Mountain Ridge on Feb. 16. λ