OGDEN – Jessica Nakken scored seven straight points and sparked a 13-0 run as Cedar beat Snow Canyon to capture third place at the 3A State Tournament.
“That’s a tough deal when you lose one you thought you could get,” Cedar coach John Elison said. “It’s one of the toughest situations an athlete or coach will ever face.”
It was a disappointing two days for the Lady Warriors, who sailed past Delta in the quarterfinals, only to taste defeat at the hands of region foes Desert Hills and Cedar.
“We had our hearts broken yesterday,” SC coach Wade Jensen said. “It’s tough to come back after that.”
Snow Canyon actually played well in the first half, building a 22-15 halftime edge behind the inside play of Megan Leavitt. A Grace Walton bucket put the Lady Warriors ahead 24-17 with 6:20 to go in the third quarter, but suddenly there was a lid on the basket. SC’s next score wouldn’t come until the 1:17 mark, more than five minutes later. In the meantime, Cedar scored 13 unanswered.
Nakken was the key in the run, getting a steal and a layup as well as a 3-pointer.
“I got after them a little at halftime,” Elison said. “You guys gotta get in their heads if your gonna score. I was proud of Jess Nakken for being the first one to step up.”
Jensen, despite the loss, was proud of his Snow Canyon team, which finishes 17-8.
“This is a great group of girls,” Jensen said. “They’ve had a lot of success and I’m very proud of them.”
Walton, Amy Harris, Ashlee Nyborg and Leavitt all scored eight points for the Warriors. Cedar was led by Nakken’s 13 points.
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