The Lehi High School boys basketball team looked unbeatable early against Pine View in their 3A state quarterfinal game Thursday. The Region 10 champion Pioneers were scoring inside and outside and breaking the Panthers' press at will while opening up a 13-point first quarter lead.
But Lehi, the defending 3A champs, went from looking unbeatable to getting beat. Pine View, which trailed by as many as 16 in the second quarter, controlled the second half to win 51-45."We were like Jekyll and Hyde," Pine View coach Lynn Christensen said. "We dug ourselves in a big hole, but the real Panthers showed up and scratched and clawed in the second half."
Pine View will face Richfield tonight at 9 p.m. in the second semifinal at the Centrum at Southern Utah University. Cedar City, an upset winner over Dixie Thursday, will face Emery in the early semi at 7:30 p.m.
Lehi forward Brian Dibb scored eight points in the first three minutes of the game as the Pioneers jumped out to a 14-4 lead.
"When they were trapping in the first half, all we were getting were layups," Lehi coach Chad Wilson said. "Then we quit attacking, we quit tying to push the ball up the floor in the second half."
Lehi's biggest lead of the game was 27-11 after a bucket by Dibb late in the second quarter. The Pioneers held a 28-16 advantage at intermission.
The second half was all Pine View's, however. The Panthers' press started forcing Pioneer turnovers. Pine View scored the first seven points of the third quarter and later went on a 13-0 run which ended midway through the final quarter with the Panthers holding a 38-32 advantage. Pine View made 13 free throws in the final three minutes to hang on for the victory.
Ryan Lewis, Pine View's 6-6 center, netted a game-high 21 points, while Dibb and Wyatt Cutler had 12 each for Lehi.
In other 3A boys quarterfinal action Thursday:
Cedar City 61, Dixie 48
The top-ranked Flyers won all three regular-season games, but the Redmen, in front of their hometown fans in the packed Centrum, won when it counted. Todd Garrett led Cedar with 17 points, while teammates Brian Reid, David Evans and Karl Bohman had 11 each. Dixie, which fell to 17-4 overall, was led by Jason Stilson's 15.
Emery 67, Union 54
The Spartans trailed by a bucket at the half but went on a run in the third quarter to take the lead and then made 14 of 17 fourth quarter free throws to put the game away. Wade Gordon scored 19 points for Emery, while 6-9 junior forward Justin Bradley had 16.
Richfield 56, Wasatch 48
The Wildcats led throughout the first half, but the Wasps staged a rally and actually took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a Mike Witkamp turnaround, 37-36. Richfield went on a 10-2 run during the next three minutes to take back control of the game. Ryan Oldroyd led all scorers with 20 points for Richfield, while Curt Davis had 10 for Wasatch.