Ask Ryan Cruz about his freshman guard, and the Summit coach will tell you: Sarah Reeves is already a special player.

Reeves accounted for seven straight points in the second quarter to help the Storm build a 23-4 advantage. Midway through the fourth, with Mountain View chipping away at the Summit lead, the first-year Storm player strung together six straight points to all but seal a 49-29 Class 5A Intermountain Conference girls basketball win at Summit High.

Reeves has quickly adapted to her first varsity season, and it leads Cruz to believe that “she has a bright future ahead of her.

“She can do so much on the court with her athleticism and skill level,” Cruz said. “We see it every day in practice, just her fire and competitive energy. And it’s only going to get better through time.”

Reeves finished with a game-high 17 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists for the Storm (4-2 IMC, 13-6 overall), while Sarah Heinly chipped in with 14 points and five boards. Megan Cornett, another Summit freshman, added eight points — five in a second quarter that was capped by a 21-0 run to help the Storm build a 30-4 halftime lead.

“Defensively, to hold a team to four points, you’ve got to be pleased as a coach,” Cruz said. “And for us to make that run in the second (quarter), it was nice to be able to take a little bit of a breath going into halftime.”

Playing without leading scorer Emma Platner, who suffered a right knee injury midway through the first quarter, the Cougars (2-3, 5-13) went on an 8-2 to chip away at the Summit advantage, soon trimming it to 38-20 in the fourth quarter.

“The kids were obviously upset that she (Platner) was hurt and were sad for her,” Mountain View coach Steve Riper said. “Then there’s the stress of our main scorer and one of our main leaders and captains not being able to play. That’s what we talked about at halftime. We’re more than just one person. We’re going to miss her a ton, but we’re going to have to have some kids step up now and do some things they’re capable of doing.”

Reeves, however, scored six straight points, including a steal and breakaway lay-in with four minutes to play to carry the Storm to a 24-point lead, and, eventually, the IMC victory.

“It was a physical game,” Cruz said. “Girls were falling to the floor. That’s why we do everything we can to preach toughness. At times, you’ve got to play through that. If anything, it helps us when we play teams at a higher level.”

Hailey Goetz paced the Cougars with nine points, while Jessie Goetz and Sarah Bailey, who hauled in five rebounds, each contributed five points. Brianna Williams logged seven boards for Mountain View.

“I’m hoping that they take to heart what we talked about at halftime,” Riper said. “I think that they really did just start to prove to themselves that there is more people on this team that can contribute. And they realize now that they have to.”

—Reporter: 541-383-0307,glucas@bendbulletin.com.