4A girls basketball playoffs: Desert Hills, Dixie both win 1st-round games

Written by Jeff Richards
February 22, 2023

ST. GEORGE — There were no first-round upsets in Tuesday’s 4A girls basketball playoff action, with the better-seeded home teams winning all five games.

Two Region 10 teams – Desert Hills and Dixie – each defeated in-region rivals to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals at Utah State University in Logan. There, they’ll be joined by region rival and No. 3 overall seed Snow Canyon, which had a first-round bye on Tuesday.

Following are recaps of each of the four first-round contests involving one or more Region 10 teams:

Desert Hills 55, Hurricane 45

It wasn’t easy for the Thunder as the scrappy Tigers kept things close throughout a low-scoring contest that pitted the tournament’s No. 8 and No. 9 seeds against each other.

But in the end, Hannah Heaton scored 14 to lead Desert Hills, including a 6-for-8 effort from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, to secure the win for the defending 4A state champions.

“I thought we played pretty good defense for the most part tonight,” Desert Hills coach Ron Denos told St. George News after the game. “I think we did a better job of attacking the basket, and that made the difference for us.”

Hannah Heaton of Desert Hills brings the ball up court vs. Hurricane in first round of 4A state girls basketball playoffs, St. George, Utah, Feb. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

It was colder inside than Thunderdome than out as both teams came out missing shots. Hurricane led 6-4 after the first quarter, then Desert Hills battled back to take a 16-10 advantage into halftime.

Defense remained the name of the game after the intermission and Desert Hills led 27-19 after the third quarter, setting the stage for a wild fourth frame.

Hurricane’s Ana Larsen caught fire, sinking two 3 pointers along with two free throws in the frame. She finished with a team-high 10 points.

Nini Dominguez of Hurricane shoots a free throw vs. Desert Hills in first round of 4A state girls basketball playoffs, St. George, Utah, Feb. 21, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Two buckets by MJ Erickson and another from Addison Crandall kept Hurricane within a two-possession game as the final seconds ticked off.

But Heaton’s dominant fourth quarter, along with Jenna Brown’s three buckets down the stretch propelled the Thunder to victory.

Brown finished with 10 points for the Thunder, as did Ashtin Hansen.

The victory advances the Thunder to Thursday’s quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament at Utah State in Logan, where Desert Hills will face unbeaten No. 1 seed Ridgeline, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff time.

The Riverhawks also happen to be the team Desert Hills beat in double overtime last year to win the 4A state championship.

Denos said it will be a tough challenge but just getting the opportunity was important to the team.

“I think it’s big. I think that’s kind of the legacy we have here. We go to the playoffs every year,” Denos said. “It pays off for us. We understand what it takes to win, and I think that gives us a few extra points each time too.”

– written by E. George Goold

Dixie 49, Crimson Cliffs 27

Although the two Region 10 rivals had played into overtime on the same floor last week, No, 5 Dixie jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a convincing win over No. 12 Crimson Cliffs.

Dixie hosts Crimson Cliffs in first round of 4A state girls basketball playoffs, St. George, Utah, Feb. 21, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Stan Plewe, St. George News

Dixie center Kealah Faumuina led the way for the Flyers, with teammate Brydee Davey adding 10.

The Flyers led 15-6 after one quarter and 31-17 at halftime.

Alyssa Whittaker was Crimson’s top scorer with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Dixie improved to 15-6 with the victory and will next face No. 4 Green Canyon in the last quarterfinal game of the day on Thursday in Logan, with tipoff scheduled at 9:10 p.m.

To view the entire tournament bracket, which is updated regularly, click here.

Mountain Crest 44, Cedar 33

At No. 7 seed Mountain Crest, the No. 10 Cedar Reds got off to a promising start, taking an 11-10 lead after one quarter. However, the Mustangs outscored Cedar 11-0 during the second period and went on to keep the lead the rest of the game.

Cedar’s Kiara Hansen led the Reds with nine points, with Gabby Gomez adding eight. The Reds end their season with an overall record of 5-16.

Bear River 55, Pine View 47

No. 11 seed Pine View made a 3-pointer to cut No. 6 Bear River’s lead to four points with one minute left, 51-47. However, the Bears blocked Pine View’s next shot attempt and converted a free throw with 43 seconds left to push their lead to five. The Panthers went on to miss their last three shot attempts, while Bear River added a few more free throws in the final minute to secure a 55-47 victory.

Bear River’s Jenna LaCroix led all scorers with 22 points, while teammate Gracie Riley added 16. The Bears advance to play No. 3 seed Snow Canyon in the 4A quarterfinals at 4:10 p.m. Thursday afternoon at Utah State University.

Meanwhile, Ellie Norton and Avery Gustin scored 13 points apiece to pace Pine View, while Reese Gustin added 10 points. Pine View ended its season with an overall record of 7-17.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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