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Davis 42, Syracuse 33
Davis enjoyed one of its best defensive performances of the season on Friday night in earning a statement Region 1 win over Syracuse. Kendra Kitchen scored 18 points, and Kate Richards added 11 more on three 3-pointers to spearhead the 42-33 victory.
With the win, the Darts improved to 11-1 overall and 4-0 in region play. Syracuse led 15-13 at the half, but Davis enjoyed a 20-10 scoring edge in the third quarter to rally for the win.
“We played great, intense defense throughout the game. Syracuse has a lot of great shooters and run nice sets. Our players did their job on defense which fueled our offense. We made a big run in the third sharing the basketball and finding the hot hand,” said Davis coach Anne Jones.
West 50, Taylorsville 37
West is the last undefeated team remaining in Region 2 after it took care of business in the 50-37 victory over Taylorsville on Friday.
The Panthers pulled away for good in the third quarter with a 15-8 scoring run as they improved to 10-4 overall and 3-0 in region play. Fine Tuhu scored 13 points to lead West, with Laite Latu chipped in with 12 more.
“We played great team defense down the stretch. Laite Latu and Fina Tuha had some crucial buckets late to seal the game. Overall just a great team effort,” said West coach Olosaa Solovi. Emalee Mumford and Michaela Medico each scored 10 points in the loss for Taylorsville.
Skyridge 46, Westlake 41
A big third quarter helped No. 2 Skyridge kick off Region 4 play with a noteworthy victory over No. 3 Westlake.
Merceius Mili returned from a two-game absence because of a wrist injury to lead the way offensively with 11 points as the Falcons prevailed 46-41.
“It was really nice to have Merceius Mili back. She hit some big shots for us and was big on the top of zone,” said Skyridge coach Shaylee Nielsen.
Skyridge trailed 22-20 at the half, but it found a rhythm offensively in the third quarter outscoring Westlake 18-8 to pull ahead for good in improving to 10-3 on the season.
“We couldn’t buy a three for a long time and in the third quarter Abby Hymas and Cambree Blackham hit some really timely 3s that let us get some separation. Shae Toole was huge for us tonight, she is the biggest hustle player out there and gives us so many extra opportunities every night. She had six O-boards and three or four steals. Really happy to come out on top of that one against a good Westlake team,” said Nielsen.
Timpview 51, Timpanogos 33
Timpview jumped all over Timpanogos in the second quarter and never looked back on its way to the 51-33 region victory on Friday as it improve to 3-0 in league play and 10-4 overall.
Natalia Ballin led the way for the T-Birds with 13 points, with Lina Ballin chipping in with 12 more.
“We executed really well tonight, both offensively and defensively. I thought be moved the ball particularly well on offense. Great team effort tonight,” said Timpview coach Haley Steed.
Ridgeline 59, Green Canyon 53
Ridgeline improved to 13-0 on the season, and just as importantly 1-0 in Region 11 play on Friday night as it kicked off the league slate with an impressive win over Green Canyon.
After trailing 7-6 after a sluggish first quarter, Ridgeline’s offense woke up in the second quarter as it built a 25-19 lead heading into halftime. It held off a late Green Canyon comeback bid for the statement win.
“It was a battle for all four quarters tonight. Our defensive intensity and composure were key for us. We were able to get a couple of transition baskets and defensive stops in the second half to give us a little breathing room in a close game,” said Ridgeline coach Ainsli Jenks. “Every one of my girls that played tonight checked into the game ready to go. I was extremely proud of our team play and effort.”
Emilee Skinner led Ridgeline with a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, with Nia Damuni chipping in with 12 points. Green Canyon’s Maren McKenna led her team with 14 points, one of three Wolves who scored in double figures.
Beaver 55, South Sevier 45
Beaver overcame a slow start with a fantastic defensive effort in the second half to rally past South Sevier for the 55-45 victory on Friday night to improve to 13-1 on the season.
“South Sevier came out with a little more energy than we did early. We fell behind 24-16 in the 2secondnd quarter but went on a 16-0 run the end of the second quarter and early third quarter. We really stepped up our defense in the second half and played some good basketball. Great road win against a top 5 team in 2A,” said Beaver coach Jon Marshall.
Danzee Bradshaw was key to the big comeback as she led all scorers with 20 points on four 3-pointers, with teammate Talia Alisa adding 13