Trailing by 12 at halftime of their 1A semifinal against Wayne, a fifth straight trip to the 1A championship looked to be in doubt for the Tabiona girls basketball team.
But the Tigers went on a 19-8 run in the third period, and led by a pesky defense and 19 points from Joy Gines, they earned a 48-46 win over Wayne in the state semifinals Friday at Salt Lake Community College.
“We went into the locker room at halftime and the girls looked at me and said this game is not over,” Tabiona coach Jake Fabrizio said.
The Tigers came out with full-court pressure to start the third period, and the tactic paid immediate dividends. Wayne committed 28 turnovers for the game, and Tabiona came up with 14 steals.
“The girls believed in what we were doing and they just kept battling and we hit some big shots,” Fabrizio said. “I give credit to Wayne. They came out and played a great ballgame but we just came out on top.”
Trailing 26-14 at intermission, Tabiona went to work and soon trailed just 31-25. Wayne led 34-28 with 55 seconds remaining in the third period but Tabiona closed on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to just a point at 34-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
But Wayne didn’t fold quickly. Undaunted by Tabiona’s third-quarter surge, Wayne went on a 6-0 run behind 3-pointers from Timber Wood and VanDyke that extended the lead to 40-33, though Gines answered that with a 3 of her own.
Finally the Tigers broke through and took the lead at 45-44 on a Gines 3 with two minutes remaining. Leading 47-46 with 28 seconds remaining, Tabiona missed two shots but corralled both offensive rebounds before Fabrizio called a timeout to settle everyone down.
Wayne did have a final opportunity late. Inbounding under Tabiona’s basket with eight seconds remaining, a half court pass was tipped and recovered by Tabiona and Wayne had to immediately foul.
Despite missing four late free throws, the Tigers held on and will face Rich on Saturday in a rematch of the 2025 1A title game.
Gines led Tabiona with 19 points, six rebounds and four steals. Maecie Hagman delivered 14 points and drew praise from her coach.
“Maecie tore her ACL halfway through last year and it took her to this point to get back,” Fabrizio said. “She came with a lot of emotion tonight and all of our girls are just gritty and tough.”
An emotional Fabrizio said the support of the Tabiona fans was crucial in the win. He also noted the team is playing with a purpose this season.
“We lost one of our teammates, Miley Rhoades, to an ATV accident a few years ago,” he said. “Our motto this year was to be remembered as a team but also to remember our loved one that passed away and meant so much to us.”
VanDyke passed Wayne with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Jenna Erickson added eight points while Wood chipped in with five points.
The Rich Rebels are headed back to the 1A girls championship game.
Rich survived a furious fourth-quarter Panguitch rally on its way to a 37–34 semifinal win Friday on the campus of Salt Lake Community College.
“These last couple of games it’s been like whatever it takes to win,” Rich coach Cody Lundgren said. “Panguitch played great defense on us. We had some things not go right for us and we missed a few shots. We kept grinding and did what we had to do to win.”
Rich held a 34-28 after Braylen Pugmire hit a pair of free throws with 50 seconds remaining, but Panguitch’s Tayt Miller responded by knocking down a 3-pointer that cut the lead to a single possession.
With 30 seconds remaining Molly Weston hit a pair of free-throws as the Rebels led 36-31 before Panguitch’s Makena Owens hit a baseline 3-pointer that trimmed the lead to 36-34 with 13 seconds left.
Weston then went back to the free throw line, making the first and missing the second, setting up a game-tying possession for the Bobcats.
But Miller’s 30-footer at the buzzer drew front rim and the Rebels, who hit 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch, advanced.
“It’s a great accomplishment and a great honor to go back to the championship,” Weston said. “Our coach always tells us to shoot free throws with confidence, and that’s what I did.”
Pugmire led Rich with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Laci McKinnon added nine points and three steals and Weston and Dottie Morse combined for 13 points.
“I just gotta do my job and be a presence in the middle,” Pugmire said. “If I’m open I know my teammates are going to get me the ball.”
Both teams started slowly Friday as they combined for just 10 first-quarter points. The Rebels scored the first five points of the game as Panguitch didn’t get on the board until less than two minutes remained in the first quarter.
Rich led 7-3 after the first period and 14-8 at halftime before Panguitch cut the deficit in half at 24-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
Miller led Panguitch with 16 points while Katie Hatch and Owens combined for 13 points.