Lone Peak stays undefeated with road win at Westlake
The Knights moved to 14-0 overall and 5-0 in region play with a strong 50-47 victory over the Thunder. The game was tight throughout, but a 12-4 run by Lone Peak in the second quarter gave them the separation they needed to hold on to a narrow victory. The Knights also did a good job of hauling in rebounds and loose balls to give them the extra possessions needed to pick up the victory.
The three headed monster of Kailey Woolston (19 points), Teuila Nawahine (11 points), and Shawnee Nordstrom (10 points) led Lone Peak. Each of them provided a boost of scoring and knocked down shots from behind the arc to help build the lead. Westlake was led by Tessa Chaney and Kaylee Headrick, who combined to score 30 points inside the 3-point line.
Lone Peak now has a two-game lead for first place in Region 4. They will look to continue their perfect season when they host Pleasant Grove next Friday before back-to-back road games the week after.
Shorthanded Skyline closes out Brighton late
Skyline was without their two leading scorers in Tina Njike and Ayla Williams but were able to stay undefeated in Region 6 play with a rally in the second quarter and a strong close to the fourth quarter. The game was tied at 26 with eight minutes to go, but a defensive stand along with key shot making saw the Eagles finish on top 37-32.
Without their heavyweight scorers, the Eagles used a balanced attack offensively. Nine different players found the bottom of the net with nobody scoring more than eight points individually. Lauren Johnson knocked down a pair of 3-pointers that proved to be key.
Skyline coach Sam White said, “The team came together, bought in on the defensive end, and made some big free throws down the stretch. Could not be more proud of this team and the heart that they showed tonight against a very tough and well-coached Brighton team.”
Cottonwood’s offense explodes for upset over Uintah
Cottonwood utilized a 18-3 first quarter to take down the Utes. Uintah was able to outscore the Colts in each of the last three periods, but it wasn’t enough to rally from the early double-digit deficit as Cottonwood held on 51-48.
Olivia Tassainer, Ali Tripp, and Avea Van der Beek all scored double-digit points for the Colts offense. Ella Wright and Jordan Woodford combined to score 31 points and knock down five 3-pointers in the loss.
“Tonight’s game was a good win for us. Uintah is a great team, second in our region and ranked 12th in 5A (RPI). They are very competitive and our team fought hard to get the win. It was a collective team effort and I am very proud of how they are coming together as a team,” Cottonwood coach Tes Soracco said.
West edges out a victory at Kearns
The Cougars took a one-point lead into the second, third, and fourth quarters but it was the Panthers who took home a one-point victory. Ebony Lealao and Jenasiz Silva combined to score 27 points as the West offense cruised in the fourth quarter to finish on top when the final buzzer went off.
The win pushed West to 3-4 in region play, bringing them back into the main pack in a highly competitive grouping. The Panthers will look to continue their momentum with back-to-back home games next week against Granger and Taylorsville.
West coach Olosaa Solovi said, “I’m proud of how our girls finished the game tonight. We had multiple girls hit some crucial free throws to win the game. Jenasiz Silva and Ebony Lealao had some crucial buckets down the stretch.”
Pleasant Grove picks up road win at Corner Canyon
The Vikings picked up a tough victory as they climbed back into the thick of a tight Region 4 race with a 51-49 overtime win over the Chargers. Pleasant Grove fell behind after a sluggish start offensively, but quickly rallied with a great defensive second quarter. The offenses got rolling again in the second half as the teams combined to score 55 points. However, once overtime began, points were hard to come by and the Vikings edged out a 2-0 period behind points from Chloe Rutter.
Brooklyn Fely led Pleasant Grove with 20 points while Rutter added 11. Ella Mortensen led the Chargers with 19 points, most of which came from her five 3-pointers.
“Region 4 is heating up right now. There are no easy games. Our region is super talented. You have to work really hard to get a win. It is preparing all of us for the state tournament,” Pleasant Grove coach Jeanine Reeves said.
“To produce back to back wins against Skyridge and Corner Canyon was amazing. It was a great week for us. The thing about our team is that we are deep. Against Skyridge our guards got the win for us. Jones, Miller, and Reeves had an amazing game. Tonight against Corner Canyon, Fely was unstoppable. Diehl, Peterson, and Livingston played great defense. Chloe Rutter is our consistent player game in and game out. Sarah Newman is giving us some great minutes off the bench too. We are looking forward to getting Allie Crockett back from a knee injury next week. February should be very interesting for Region 4.”