The anticipated matchup between the top two ranked teams in the state almost didn't materialize during Thursday's play at the 4A girls basketball tournament at Murray High.
Second-ranked and undefeated Sky View (22-0) had to come from behind and then hang on to defeat third-ranked Springville 46-45 to advance to the tourney semifinals. The win, coupled with top-ranked Timpview's defeat of Logan, set up the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown tonight at 7:50 p.m. The winner will meet the winner of the Murray-Ogden game for the state crown.Not only did the Bobcats have to overcome a tough Red Devils squad to advance, they also had to surpass their own mistakes. Midway through the second quarter, center Kacey Peterson was ejected for two possessions for playing with her shirt untucked. Before the game began, though, Spring-ville was awarded two free throws and possession of the ball when Sky View's Mari Burningham was given a technical foul for grabbing the rim during warmups, a no-no in high school basketball.
That early start got Springville (16-5) on the right track as they jumped out to an 11-2 lead before settling for a 13-6 edge at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a clinic on turnovers and missed shots. Sky View managed to get on a minor roll late in the quarter and went into the locker room with the score tied at 16-16.
"We got down in the first quarter and tried to get it all back at once. We played like there was a six-point line out there," Sky View coach Alan Wamsley said. "I told (my players) at halftime that if they got through this game it would be the best lesson they've learned in their lives."
The point was well-taken, as the Bobcats nearly scored their halftime output and grabbed a 30-25 lead heading into the final quarter. An early bucket to open the final period gave Sky View a seven-point lead, but the Red Devils weren't dead just yet. Springville's Angie Todhunter scored eight of her 15 second-half points over the next four minutes to give her team a 42-40 lead with 3:51 remaining.
With the score tied at 44-44, Jessica Sparrow was fouled on a drive and sank two free throws with nine seconds left for a two-point Sky View edge. Todhunter was then sent to the line with three seconds to play when Burningham attempted to draw a charge but was called for the foul. After the first free throw was made, Sky View called time out to ice Todhunter and get instructions for the final seconds. The latter didn't matter though, as Todhunter's second attempt bounced off the back of the rim and neither team could gain control of the ball before time expired.
Burningham led all scorers with 22 points while Sparrow added 14 for the Bobcats. Todhunter's 15 points was tops for the Red Devils.
While the Sky View-Timpview matchup has finally arrived, other Friday action will see Murray meet Ogden at 6:10 p.m. for the right to advance into Saturday's championship. In other games, Provo meets East at 11:30 a.m., Woods Cross will face Payson at 1:10 p.m., Olympus will square off against Jordan at 2:50 p.m., and Logan is pitted against Springville at 4:30 p.m.
Timpview 80, Logan 60
The top-ranked Thunderbirds kept up their end of the deal for the big matchup with Sky View by taking care of the Grizzlies. Timpview (21-1) never trailed in the game and grabbed a comfortable 37-28 halftime as Lindsay Allen scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the first two periods. Logan (12-8) was topped by Jeremi Covington's 13 points.
Olympus 40, West 36
The Titans avoided elimination from the tournament with a come-from-behind win over the Panthers. Olympus (11-10) trailed by three points heading into the final quarter, but outscored West (8-15) 10-3 in the last eight minutes. The victory set up a meeting with Jordan in the consolation bracket semifinals.
Jordan 53, Mountain Crest 45
The Beetdiggers rolled out to a big first quarter lead and never looked back as they drubbed the Mustangs. Melissa Hill scored 12 points and sisters Tawni and Brook Epperson chipped in 10 points apiece to lead the charge for Jordan (16-4). Mountain Crest finished its season at 10-13.