SALT LAKE CITY — Davis was in a very unfamiliar situation heading into the fourth quarter of Friday’s 6A semifinals at the Huntsman Center: It was losing.
Top-seed Davis only played two games decided by single digits all year, losing just once, so trailing underdog Lone Peak by seven points after three quarters was indeed a bit worrisome for the Darts.
Despite the adversity, the Darts fought through it in the fourth quarter, rallying for the 63-61 victory to advance to Saturday’s 6A state championship at 4 p.m.
Lone Peak hit a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining but didn’t have any timeouts remaining to stop the clock.
“We just tried to simplify at halftime and then going into the fourth quarter, let’s quit trying to be something we’re not and stay with what’s got us here all year defensively. We got lost a little bit and tried to do things out of character, and then offensively as well,” said Davis coach Chad Sims.
Davis 63, Lone Peak 61
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Leading scorers
Davis: Spencer Vernon, 19
Lone Peak: Cameron Brimhall, 19
Everyone made huge contributions for the Darts to key the rally, including reserves Dylan Perrenoud and Nick Fisher, who combined to score Davis’ first eight points of the fourth quarter.
Fisher’s 3-point play cut the deficit to 44-42, and then on the very next possession Perrenoud buried a 3-pointer tying the game at 45-45 with 6:14 remaining.
At the 3:17 mark, Jake Sampson hit one of his three 3-pointers to stretch Davis’ lead to 54-49. On Davis’ next three possessions, it made both free throws each time and appeared to be in great shape up 60-54 with a minute remaining.
Over the next 30 seconds, Lone Peak got a jumper from Corbin Zentner, followed by a turnover from Davis, and then a layup by Josh Jackson and suddenly the Knights were only down 60-58.
When Fisher then made just 1 of 2 free throws with 22 seconds remaining, suddenly the Knights were in position to potentially send the game into overtime.
Davis’ Trevan Leonhardt had other ideas. He stole the ball from Lone Peak near midcourt, and his two free throws then sealed the win as Lone Peak couldn’t stop the clock after its last 3-pointer.
“Trevan’s anticipation is off the charts, his basketball IQ. For him to get that steal is pretty fitting,” said Sims.
“We just tried to simplify at halftime and then going into the fourth quarter, let’s quit trying to be something we’re not and stay with what’s got us here all year defensively. We got lost a little bit and tried to do things out of character, and then offensively as well.” — Davis coach Chad Sims
Leonhardt finished the game with 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Spencer Vernon led the way for the Darts with 19 points on 6 of 7 shooting, his third most points all season.
He said that even though Lone Peak’s lead increased after each quarter thanks to dominance on the offensive glass, Davis tried to stay calm.
“We haven’t really been down much, but that’s the thing that’s so good about our team is we just play team basketball and we know the next guy is going to step up and make the play,” said Vernon.
And as for advancing to the championship a year after losing in the semifinals in double overtime, Vernon said, “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”
Until the early flurry in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Lone Peak would get a shot at Saturday’s championship.
With center Cameron Brimhall leading the way on the interior with 19 points, and then Zentner and Jared Jensen hitting big 3s, Davis just couldn’t cut into Lone Peak’s lead over the first three quarters.
Lone Peak turned its 13 offensive rebounds into a 16-8 edge in second chance points.
Davis never did solve its rebounding struggles as Lone Peak added five more second chance points in the fourth quarter on four offensive rebounds, but it hit enough big shots to punch its ticket to the final.