3A Playoffs
Ogden 53, Juab 45
Ashley Christensen knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 20 points as Ogden used a 13-3 advantage in the second quarter to build an early lead on Juab, a lead it never relinquished in its 3A first round victory.
“We are happy to leave with a win. Juab is young and talented and will be a force to be reckoned with next year. We feel our tough Region 13 opponents prepared us to play good against them. We threw everything we had at them defensively in hopes of slowing down their scorers. We counted on our primary scorers, Lucy Ballard and Ashley Christensen, to make shots and they did. Brynn Smith has honed her 3 ball and her attack to the rim recently and she contributed a timely eight points. We have a very deep bench and we felt we could wear them out with new bodies who each bring something different. Like every team we face, our girls have worked hard to be where they are and we are very proud of them for their effort.”
— Ogden coach Steve Lister
American Leadership 45, Providence Hall 39
American Leadership edged out a playoff victory over the visiting Patriots. They trailed by four heading into the final period but were able to escape with a 45-39 overtime victory. Tiffany Tervort, Alexis Webster, and Helen Wolfe all scored in double-figures and knocked down a 3-pointer. Webster finished with four triples. ALA moves on to take on Grantsville in the second round.
“After being down 11 in the fourth, our girls found a way to come back and take the win in overtime. They played with outstanding effort.”
— American Leadership coach Kyle Purvis
Juan Diego 53, North Sanpete 44
Juan Diego jumped out to a 16-point halftime lead and then withstood a big second-half push from North Sanpete as it earned the 3A first-round win. Alynn Crooms had a huge game to lead the Soaring Eagle as she poured in 27 points on three 3-pointers.
“I am so proud of how the team played tonight. They played as a team and, more importantly, with heart. The team had a lot of energy on defense that fueled them to score in transition.”
— Juan Diego coach Ashley McKray
Delta 52, Ben Lomond 29
Delta made 29 of 41 free throws on its way to a 52-29 victory over Ben Lomond. The Rabbits were led by 26 points and four 3-pointers from Kate Smith. Delta will travel to take on the Emery on Friday night in the second round.
“Found a way to win. Ben Lomand played hard but we made enough plays to survive and advance. Looking forward to Friday.”
— Delta coach Jordan Johnson
2A Playoffs
Rowland Hall 44, Merit Academy 11
Rowland Hall held Merit Academy to just six points in the first half and 11 for the game as it rolled to the 2A first round victory.
“A well-balanced attack by Rowland Hall beat an aggressive young Merit Academy team in first game of state games.”
— Rowland Hall coach Bill Tatomer
St. Joseph 51, Waterford 43
St. Joseph rallied from a halftime deficit to knock out Waterford. The Jayhawks utilized an 11-3 run in the third quarter to flip the game. Freshman Elizabeth Randall and junior Sarah Shell each finished with 15 points in the win. St. Joseph will travel to Kanab for the second round of the playoffs.
Gunnison Valley 48, Freedom Prep Academy 28
Gunnison dominated the middle period 30-8 as they ran away with a road playoff win over Freedom Prep Academy by a score of 48-28. Rilee Dyreng dominated the paint and finished with 21 points while Raven Pickett pitched in 15 points.
“We started off slow but in the second quarter we started pushing the ball in transition, which created some easy buckets. When we did that we were able to settle in and play more together and relaxed as a team.”
— Gunnison Valley coach Melissa Sorensen
Parowan 59, APA West Valley 6
Parowan dominated from start to finish as it rolled past APA West Valley for the 2A first-round win. Katlynn Matheson and Bella Johnson combined to score 25 points to pace the Rams to the easy playoff win.
“We have been working all season to be disciplined on both offense and defense, and our mental toughness is finally beginning to show. State is the time to play our game regardless of who we play and just keep moving forward.”
— Parowan coach Brandon Johnson
Enterprise 54, Utah Military Hillfield 18
The Enterprise offense exploded for 24 second-quarter points as the Wolves moved on to the next round of the state tournament with a 54-18 win over Utah Military Hillfield. Noah Moyle led all scorers with 12 points.
“We struggled to make our shots in the first but stuck with it and picked up our defense pressure.”
— Enterprise coach Lance Jones
San Juan 56, Maeser Prep 34
San Juan was able to close both halves on a big run, first to grab a double-digit lead heading into halftime and then to close out a 56-34 upset victory over Maeser Prep. Khalil Eyetoo scored 21 points and knocked down a shot from behind the arc to lead her team to a win. Millard is awaiting the Broncos in the next round.
“Tonight’s game was a great realization for our girls that they can compete and that they can win a ball game. We look forward to our game on Friday.”
— San Juan coach Laura Stearns