The Bryce Valley boys basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit to beat Milford in the 1A state quarterfinals Friday afternoon at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield.
The 53-48 win sets Bryce Valley up to play against Panguitch or Tintic in the semifinals.
“We have a really talented team,” said coach Gary Syrett. “We’ve had periods of time where we just have played well and I felt like we’re playing better in this tournament. We’re a resilient team.”
Milford took over the lead in the first period as Sadler Barns dropped in back-to-back buckets. Barnes would be a force throughout the game, as he totaled 22 points for the Tigers.
By the half, Milford’s boys built up a 31-18 edge.
“We went into our trap,” Syrett said. He said they weren’t sure the halfcourt trap would work, but they were able to pull it off as Bryce Valley launched a balanced scoring attack.
Bryce Valley’s boys were able to score 13-unanswered points in the third quarter, with contributions from Luke Andrus, Zaren Roberts and Cooper Owens. It was enough to knot the game at 35-all with 1:53 left in the period.
Andrus hit another pair from the foul line, and Antonio Moreno put in a layup as the buzzer sounded, securing a 39-37 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.
Bryce Valley was able to sustain its lead through the rest of the game. A 3-pointer from Milford’s Boston Sullivan closed the gap to one point, but Milford wasn’t able to take the reigns of the game back.
Andrus led the scoring effort for Bryce Valley, netting 14 points, including a pair of clutch free throws with 9.3 seconds left in the game to cement the win. Rustyn Chynoweth added 11 points to Bryce Valley’s total, followed by Roberts wth 10.
“They are talented enough to be most anybody when they play hard,” Syrett said. “This was a fun game.”
Bryce Valley’s Mustangs came into the tournament with the 11th seed, and were able to take down the number three seed in Milford. Next they’re set to take on the number two seed — Panguitch — Friday at 8:30 p.m.
“We’ve played Panguitch twice this season and lost both times,” Syrett said. “We just have to keep fighting and stay dialed in. That’s the biggest thing. We just got to compete for 32 minutes and see where it goes.”
Panguitch beat Tintic 53-32 in the 1A quarterfinal at Sevier Valley Center. Panguitch (22-3) outscored Tintic (16-6) 16-6 in the third quarter to pull away for good. Daxton Miller led Panguitch with 16 points, while Remme Chappell added 11. For Tintic, Cole Ward was the leading scorer with 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
Rich 47, Piute 35
Rich defeated Piute 47-35 to advance in the 1A quarterfinals. Ridge Lundgren led the Rebels (18-2) with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, while Drake Weston added 20 points and two 3-pointers. The Rebels outscored Piute 17-8 in the second quarter to build a commanding lead. Will Myers was the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds (15-10) with 15 points.
Tabiona 56, Valley 35
Tabiona defeated Valley 56-35 in the 1A quarterfinal at Sevier Valley Center. The Tigers (18-5) opened up a commanding lead early on, outscoring the Buffaloes 21-7 in the first quarter. Gavin Rhoades led Tabiona with 19 points, while Bryson Fabrizio added 12. For Valley (15-6), Warren Spencer was the leading scorer with 11 points.