SPANISH FORK — Despite finishing sixth in Region 7 and going into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, Alta’s girls basketball team never doubted it could still compete in the 5A playoffs.
It made a believer out of Maple Mountain on Tuesday as well.
No. 26 seed Alta — which would’ve missed the playoffs entirely in the old format — stunned No. 7 seed Maple Mountain 42-39 on Tuesday to advance to the 5A second round on Thursday at No. 10 Viewmont.
“We didn’t change anything. We didn’t have a secret weapon. We know that we are a team that can compete, we stuck to our identity, we played our game,” said Alta coach Lizzy Gustafson.
Alta’s Caroline Murri led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Marlee Albrecht chipped in with eight points and 15 rebounds.
Here’s a look at the other 5A first round games on Tuesday:
Springville 55, Mountain Ridge 22
After a slow start, Springville turned on the jets and scorched Mountain Ridge over the course of the last three quarters to advance to the 5A second round. Brooke Pennington hit three 3-pointers and scored a game-high 13 for the Red Devils.
Bountiful 57, Wasatch 54 (OT)
Bountiful edged out the Wasps for an overtime victory in a crazy back-and-forth game. Emrie Satuala, Evelyn Chism and LIzzie McConkie all scored 14 points or more in the victory.
Bonneville 48, Timpview 45
Lily Hall scored 15 points and knocked down three 3-pointers to lead Bonneville to road win. Kinsley Barrington scored 27 points in the home loss.
Skyline 58, Cottonwood 34
After coming ready to play and dominating the first half, Skyline cruised the rest of the game and secured a spot in the next round. The Eagles were led by Tina Njike, who scored 14 points.
Spanish Fork 61, Hillcrest 43
After a close first half, Spanish Fork dominated the final 16 minutes, pushing it to a victory and trip to the second round. Eliza Bowman led all scorers with 18 points.
Olympus 54, Provo 47
Alyssa Blanck dropped 16 points and hauled in nine rebounds to lead the Titans to a win over the Bulldogs. Olympus was down early but had massive closes to each half to earn the victory.
East 57, Payson 39
The Leopards jumped out to a 34-13 halftime lead and never back in rolling to the easy 5A first-round victory over visiting Payson.
Mountain View 62, Box Elder 42
Samiana Suguturaga and Sydney White combined to score 48 points in the Bruins upset win over the Bees at Box Elder.
Viewmont 52, Brighton 24
The Vikings exploded for 21 points in the first quarter and set the tone for the game early, which helped them control the rest of the game and advance into the next round. Anna MacKay stuffed the stat sheet for Viewmont, scoring 12 points to go along with eight rebound, two assists and four steals.
Woods Cross 40, Murray 35
Taylor Jackson and Annie Michaelis came up clutch in the fourth quarter, knocking down 100 percent of their free throws to lead Woods Cross to a tight win over the Spartans.
Orem 50, Timpanogos 28
Victoria Hollingshead scored 24 points, but it was the Tigers defense that impressed. Orem held Timpanogos to just four points a quarter over the first three quarters of the ball game, leading to an easy first round victory.
Salem Hills 56, Park City 39
Thanks to a strong third quarter performance, Salem Hills was able to pull away from Park City and secure its spot in the next round. The Skyhawks had three players in double figures, led by Brooke Vance who had 16 points along with three steals.