SARATOGA SPRINGS — Westlake was reminded that anything can happen in playoff basketball on Thursday night, but Jill Lungren made sure the Thunder learned the lesson in a victory.
The sophomore hit a jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining as No. 3 Westlake eked out a 56-54 win over No. 14 seed Jordan to advance to next week’s 6A quarterfinals.
“It’s playoff basketball where anything can happen,” said Westlake coach Michael O’Connor. “I am proud of our girls maintaining their composure down the stretch particularly in the last 20 seconds.”
Westlake led comfortably at halftime 31-19, but the visiting ‘Diggers didn’t go quietly in the second half. Led by Emily Moss, who finished with 25 points, Jordan cut the lead to 46-39 heading into the fourth.
With 25 seconds remaining in the game, Moss made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to tie the game at 54-54, the first tie of the entire second half.
Despite seeing its lead completely evaporate, Westlake showed poise in that final possession and Lungren buried the good look at the basket for the game winner. She finished with eight points and nine rebounds, while Susan Fano led the Thunder with 19 points. Halle Hester added 17 points.
Here’s a recap of the other day 6A second round games on Thursday:
Syracuse 50, American Fork 41
Syracuse came out very strong to open the game and gave themselves a crucial cushion that helped them avoid scoring runs by American Fork. Whitney Sorenson, Rainee Schenck and Baylee Sanders combined for 35 points and five 3-pointers and helped lead Syracuse into the next round.
Skyridge 53, Hunter 42
Skyridge played with a purpose to start the game, outscoring Hunter 21-7. Skyridge shot lights out, hitting 11 3-pointers. Five of which were hit by leading scorer Keylee Melling who had 19 points.
Fremont 48, Weber 9
Fremont proved to be worthy of the No. 1 seed, putting on a defensive clinic throughout the game and overwhelming Weber. Timea Gardiner led the Silver Wolves with 20 points to help the favorites advance into the quarterfinals.
Herriman 60, Davis 40
Herriman had a hot-shooting night and did just enough on defense to secure a win against a tough Davis team and advance to the next round. Ainsley Enger led the way for the Mustangs with 17 points and four made 3-pointers.
Bingham 43, Pleasant Grove 30
After a back-and-forth contest throughout the first half, Bingham came out strong after halftime to pull away and secure themselves a spot in the next round. Jaycee and Sierra Lichtie combined for 26 of Bingham’s 43 points.
Lone Peak 63, Layton 21
Lone Peak’s balanced scoring and stifling defense helped them dominate Layton and make a statement win. Jane LeRoy scored a game-high 14 points for the Knights and helped her team cruise into the next round.
Copper Hills 73, Riverton 62
Both teams shot the ball well from distance, combining for 18 made 3-pointers. Copper Hill’s Abby McVey caught fire, scoring 24 points and hitting seven 3-pointers. Riverton’s Avalon Miller was also exceptional, scoring 21 points.