TAYLORSVILLE — With a halftime score of 25-25, it was anyone's ball game.
At the end of a close third quarter, it was still up for grabs. As time went on, a likely winner failed to emerge and a clear victor wouldn't be decided until the final seconds of the game.
Dannika Webb sealed the victory for the Sky View Bobcats over Westlake, going 2-of-2 from the line and extending the lead to four, with two seconds remaining. Webb was responsible for the two crucial free throws preceding her game clinchers as well in the 56-52 victory.
The guard did an excellent job orchestrating from the point and Sky View head coach Kimball Hall instructed the Bobcats to keep the ball in her hands throughout the nail-biting fourth quarter. She finished with 11 total points, sinking two 3-pointers earlier in the game and going 5-of-5 from the line.
Tara Goldman was a reckoning force in the paint for Sky View, muscling her way to the basket for 11 points and eight rebounds. Hall attributed an advantage to having Goldman inside, noting that if the Bobcats got her the ball, it was a sure bucket.
The Bobcats went 8-of-11 from the line in the fourth quarter and Maddie Day and Whitney Alvey both put up five points in that quarter. Day finished with an impressive double-double, earning 15 total points and 10 rebounds.
Following the tight contest, Hall expressed the Bobcats' desire to pull away and maintain a lead earlier on but said they were unable to do so due to a tough Westlake defense.
"We threw too many away in the first," he said.
Westlake challenged Sky View until the end, tying it up several times. There were lead changes throughout the third and fourth and neither team carried the lead for more than a few possessions at a time.
The Bobcats saw success after switching out of their usual zone defense and going to a man. They were able to stave off a Westlake surge, keeping the game tight.
Set offensive plays were sparse in the final minutes as both teams practiced a run-and-gun offense. Day referred to the final minutes as "helter skelter," with both teams going for steals.
Westlake had three scorers in the double-digits with Ashley Calder at the helm. Calder pulled down nine rebounds and finished with 12 points. Jessica Benson and Shannon Jensen combined for 21 points in the loss.
email: jwilde@desnews.com