Alta High girls basketball team, after a second place finish in the state a year ago, has struggled to find itself this preseason. But with Alli Bills on Alta's side, the Hawks will likely be a team to contend with come postseason.
Bills, one of the best guards in the state, scored 22 points and dished out eight assists Thursday to lead Alta (4-4) to a 57-45 road victory over a good Hunter team (5-4). Kara Harrison added 12 points for Alta.The Hawks jumped out to a 16-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and never trailed in the game.
Elsewhere in the state:
Skyline 41, Orem 39
At Orem, the Eagles (5-5) used a strong half court defense to hold the Tigers (6-3) to just two points in the second quarter. Skyline' s Janna Whitman scored nine points to lead the Eagles, while Orem's Adrienne Honeycutt had a game-high 12 points in the defensive battle.
Box Elder 64, Grace, Id. 61
At Box Elder, Laura Baird scored 23 points to lead the Bees in the non-league win. Box Elder is now 6-2 on the year. The Bees trailed after three quarters, but outscored Grace 17-12 in the fourth for the victory.
Lehi 43, Richfield 40
At Richfield, Deena Fullmer scored 14 points and Amber Strode had 10 to lead the Pioneers over the Wildcats in a non-region game Wednesday. Katie Ogden led Richfield with 13 points.