Tabiona High School is headed to the 1A girls semifinals after outlasting a Valley rally Thursday at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield.
Tabiona took the win 45-43, punching its ticket to the next round, which will be against Panguitch.
The game started off with Tabiona’s Lady Tigers securing an early six-point lead, which they commanded through most of the game. Valley was up by six at the end of the first quarter and ahead by nine at the half. Then a late surge by Valley closed the gap.
“We knew coming in that Valley was very impressive,” said coach Jake Fabrizio. “They were very defensively minded. We knew that when it came down to crunch time, our girls were gonna have to hit shots from the foul line.”
Valley was able to stay within 10 points of Tabiona’s girls through most of the game. Rachel Cox spurred new life into the Valley offense, as she drained a 3-pointer late in the third period. She went on to score 13 points in total and netted two steals and three rebounds.
Maddie Cox also drained a 3-pointer for Valley in the final period to help close the gap. She’d end the game with 11 points. Valley was able to feed the ball to Andee Anderson, who scored from under the hoop with .3 seconds to go in the game.
Meanwhile Tabiona had stepped up its free-throw shooting, hitting four of the six they had in the final period.
Maycee Rhoades led the way for Tabiona, netting two 3-pointers on her way to 20 points.
“We rely on Maycee to do a lot to do good things for us,” Fabrizio said. “She’s had four good years at Tabiona, so I’ve been excited to see her at this point and her career.”
Rhoades was one of three Lady Tigers to score in double digits, along with Joy Gines and Bella Gines.
“I have a really good core group of young girls,” Fabrizio said. “So I’ve had to depend on my young girls to step up. They’ve done a great job this year.”
Next for Tabiona is Panguitch, the number two seed in the tournament.
“Panguitch has always been somebody that you know is tough,” Fabrizio said. “They bring great athletes every year and it’ll be kind of fun to see them again this year and see kind of how we do.”
The game against Panguitch is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“I think the biggest thing heading into that game for us is that we believe in ourselves,” Fabrizio said.
Panguitch defeated Manila 56-38 in a dominant quarterfinal performance, advancing in the 1A playoffs. The Bobcats (18-5) gained control by outscoring the Mustangs (14-10) 17-6 in the second quarter, establishing a solid halftime lead. Mallory Henrie led Panguitch with 22 points, while Brayli Frandsen added 13, including two 3-pointers. Sadie Davis was the top scorer for Manila with 13 points, and Kamryn Slaugh chipped in 12, hitting two 3-pointers.
Rich 52, Monument Valley 27
Rich dominated Monument Valley 52-27, advancing to the 1A quarterfinals at Sevier Valley Center. The Rebels (21-2) built a commanding lead with a strong 19-point third quarter, assuring their victory. Braylyn Pugmire led Rich with 14 points, supported by Kira Jolley’s 10 points, including two 3-pointers. For the Cougars (5-6), Dakotah Cly scored eight points, while Taylor Stanley contributed seven points, also adding a 3-pointer.
Wayne 47, Whitehorse 29
Wayne defeated Whitehorse 47-29 in the 1A quarterfinals at Sevier Valley Center. The Badgers (15-5) broke away in the fourth quarter with a dominant 20-point performance. Raegyn Blackburn led Wayne with 20 points, including three 3-pointers, while AJ Vandyke added 15 points and three 3-pointers. Heidi Clark was the top scorer for the Raiders (16-4) with 11 points.