RICHFIELD — The Layton Christian defense was collapsed so tight around forward Sami Cornelison, it didn't look like she'd ever get the ball.
Then sophomore guard Allie Eastman helped her senior teammate out by hitting some huge outside shots.
"I thought she did a great job for us," said Rebels coach Scott Ferguson after Rich advanced to the 1A semifinal game with a 65-48 win over top-ranked Layton Christian.
"I've talked all year about how if teams try to take Sami away from us, we've got to have other girls step up ... We had some girls step up and hit some outside shots and that loosened things up in the middle."
Eastman got it all started at the beginning of the second quarter with a 3-pointer. She finished with 22 points, which is what Cornelison scored, most of those from the paint or free throw line. Cornelison also grabbed 14 rebounds.
"I also thought Brittani Groll did a good job keeping the ball away from (Marquina Hicks)," he said.
The Rebels played very well defensively, but shutting Hicks down completely isn't possible. The senior finished with 30 points, including two 3-point shots.
Foul trouble hurt the Eagles as freshman forward Jasmine Porter missed much of the game with fouls. Tess Lawrence also had to sit significant minutes with foul trouble, but she still managed eight points and nine rebounds in the effort.
The loss sends Layton Christian to the consolation bracket where they will play Dugway at noon on Friday. The win means the Rebels head to the semi-finals to play Green River, the state's second-ranked team.
"They came out with a lot of energy," Ferguson said of his team.
"They're very motivated. We'll just keep building."
In the other bracket, Manila defeated Valley and Tabiona defeated Wayne. The Mustangs and Tigers, both region 16 foes, will square off at 6 p.m. Manila has beat Tabiona twice during region play, although both games were very close.
In other 1A Tournament action:
MANILA 51, VALLEY 42: Nina Beck and Lacey Larsen managed to finish the game with four fouls each to help the Mustangs advance in the 1A Tournament. Beck finished with 19 points, while Larsen scored 15 points. Larsen also grabbed 10 rebounds, while Beck had nine and McCullough added nine boards.
So how nervous was coach Kim Stephens with her two best scorers and rebounders in foul trouble?
"Not as nervous as yesterday," she said recalling the foul trouble was much worse for the fifth-ranked Mustangs. "I was nervous, but the girls like playing against teams they've never played against. It's their very favorite thing."
Manila also spent Thursday morning working on their press break, which they needed against a feisty Valley defense.
Malissa Maxwell led the Buffalo with 13 points, while Sammie Griffiths added nine points. The loss means Valley will face Wayne in consolation play at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
GREEN RIVER 55, DUGWAY 35: Heidi Vetere, Charle Vetere and Adriana Cordova led the Pirates to a second-round win with 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Mustangs were led by Sherilyn Pianar, who scored a game-high 15 points, including four 3-point shots. Teammate Jaynie Palmer added eight points and Tiara Stevenson finished with six points.
The win means second ranked Green River will face fourth-ranked Rich at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the 1A semifinals.
In consolation play:
PANGUITCH 46, BRYCE VALLEY 39: Panguitch made 19 Free-throws to just seven for Bryce Valley. Hailey Orton scored 18 points in the win. The win means the Bobcats play Piute in consolation play at 3 p.m. Friday.
PIUTE 41, SALT LAKE LUTHERAN 30: Piute led 24-6 at halftime, and held on to get the win. Seven players scored for Piute. The win sends Piute to play Panguitch at 3 p.m. Friday.
INTERMOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN 44, MERIDIAN 25: ICS used a big 3rd quarter to blow the game open and got 18 points from Brooke Anderson. The win allows ICS to play Monticello in consolation play at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
MONTICELLO 67, WENDOVER 37: The Buckaroos advanced in consolation play with a big win over the Wildcats. Monticello was led by Jessica Pipkin, who scored 24 points, and Ashley Dowell, who finished with 15 points. Wendover had big games from Lindsey Mascaro, who scored 11 points, and Kayla Timm, who finished with nine points.
The win means Monticello moves on to play ICS at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The loss eliminates Wendover, the Region 18 champion, from the tournament.
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com