Thanks to a suffocating zone defense and some strong work on the offensive boards, the Copper Hills girls basketball team found itself in uncharted territory late Wednesday night.
The Grizzlies had just defeated Bountiful 57-44 in the first round of the 5A state tournament, producing their first ever postseason victory in the school's brief two-year history.Deedra Knudsen led the charge with 13 points and eight rebounds for Copper Hills, which hauled in 19 offensive rebounds and 42 total for the game. Neither team played what it would consider its best game of the year though.
The Grizzlies committed 22 turnovers on the night, while a young Bountiful team, which has no senior starters, was even more generous with 25 turnovers. The key to the game, however, was the Braves' poor shooting in the first half.
Bountiful made just six shots in the first two quarters, shooting 23 percent in that span, and trailed 33-15 at halftime.
"We felt their inside game was strong," said Copper Hills head coach Kim Searle, who had her team's zone defense packed inside most of the night. "We were willing to let them shoot from the outside."
The Braves did just that, and shot themselves right out of the game.
"We always spot everybody a big lead but we are usually more consistent than that from the outside," Bountiful head coach Jill Avery said.
Bountiful's Jenny Pierce finally found the shooting touch in the third quarter, scoring all of her team-high 12 points and cutting the deficit to 42-34 heading into the final period.
The Braves still trailed by just eight at 46-38 with just over six minutes to play when Copper Hills went on a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.
"We just want to keep doing ourselves one better," Searle said about her team's achievement.
Doing one better again may have to wait until next year for the Grizzlies. Their victory earned them the unenviable right of playing Mountain View in the second round on Friday. That would be the same No. 1-ranked, 45-game winning streak, defending state champion Mountain View.
Copper Hills has already played the role of victim No. 27 in the streak. The Grizzlies lost to the Bruins in their first game this season 65-38. Victim No. 46 may be looming in the distance.
Until that time, the Grizzlies can bask in the limelight of their first tournament victory.
In other 5A first-round action:
Northridge 50, Brighton 34: The Knight defense allowed just seven points in the first half in posting a victory over the Bengals. Stephanie Stanger scored 12 of her 18 points in the first quarter for Northridge, while Mindy Hansen had 23 points for Brighton.
Orem 55, Roy 41: Jen Leavitt tossed in 21 points, while Lorie Summerfeldt hauled in 10 rebounds for the Tigers as they bounced the Royals from the tournament. Crystal Howe paced Roy with 16 points.
Skyline 57, Granger 49: The Eagles needed a change in defense in the fourth quarter to finally put away the Lancers. Sally Johnson had 19 points and Holly Harris chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds for Skyline. Misty Montoya banged home 24 points for Granger.
Alta 55, Weber 42: Lindsay Logan and Angi Bonham combined for 30 points as the Hawks pulled away in the second half to defeat the Warriors. Becca Erickson and Lesley Shaw each had 10 points for Weber.
Viewmont 62, Kearns 46: Amber Nielsen hit four 3-pointers en route to a 21-point effort for the Vikings as they dumped the Cougars. Viewmont will next meet Alta on Friday.
Hunter 44, Cottonwood 37: Kristy Slade scored 19 points, while teammate Emily Brough added 13 rebounds, seven points and five assists for the Wolverines as they hung on in the fourth quarter to defeat the Colts.
American Fork 54, Bonneville 41: Erionda Bennion led four Cavemen players in double figures with 14 points and added 10 rebounds in a victory over the Lakers. Next up for American Fork is second-ranked Davis.
Layton 86, Timpanogos 38: The Lancers scored 51 points in the first half and coasted in the second half to a big win over the Timberwolves. Kim Morrill led a balanced attack for Layton with 14 points.
West Jordan 62, Hillcrest 36: The Jaguars jumped out early and never looked back in clawing the Huskies. Stacy Jensen poured in 24 points for West Jordan, which faces Layton on Friday.
Fremont 56, Jordan 47: The Silver Wolves used a strong defensive stand in the fourth quarter to help them pull away from the Beetdiggers and advance to the second round. Amber Russell had 14 points for Fremont, while Tiffany Pugmire netted 19 points for Jordan.
Taylorsville 91, Highland 36: Lindsay Sodja burned the nets for 29 points and the Warriors jumped out to a 38-15 lead in cruising past the Rams. Brit Staveley added 18 points for Taylorsville, which meets Fremont on Friday.