Flyers, Thunder thump out-of-towners at Ken Robinson Classic

Dixie vs. Salem Hills, Boys Basketball, St. George, UT, Dec. 8, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Dixie and Desert Hills were both rude to the visitors at the Ken Robinson Classic basketball tournament Friday night.

In the early game, Desert Hills put a hurtin’ on the Wasatch Wasps, cruising to a 19-point victory. The nightcap was a little closer, but Dixie still never trailed in the second half in a six-point win over Salem Hills. Both games were played at Dixie High’s Hangar Gymnasium.

At the North vs. South tournament in Cache Valley, both Pine View and Snow Canyon got beat, though Canyon View salvaged the day up North with a win over Mountain Crest. Cedar was the lone Region 9 representative at the Bulldog Invitational in Mesquite, Nev. The Redmen got their second win of the year by beating Moapa Valley.

Here’s a recap of the action:

Dixie 72, Salem Hills 66 (Ken Robinson Classic)

Carson Bottema and Tanner Cuff led the way for the Flyers, who withstood several big surges by the talented Skyhawks. Bottema had 19 points in the first half (21 in the game) and Cuff poured in 19 in the game and Dixie was solid at the free throw line (18 for 24, 75 percent) in the home win.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this – the first home game,” Bottema said. “It was really fun having the crowd behind us and cheering us on. I just wanted to go out there and be a team player and get us a win.”

Dixie’s Tanner Cuff (3), Dixie vs. Salem Hills, Boys Basketball, St. George, UT, Dec. 8, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

With nine quick points from Bottema and a behind-the-back pass from Cuff to Dixie center Derek Cox for a basket, the Flyers jumped out to an early 11-3 lead. Salem Hills star James Nelson led a charge the final four minutes of the quarter to give the Skyhawks a 15-13 lead at the end of the first.

Down 18-15 early in the second quarter, Dixie went on its own run. Cuff scored eight straight points for his team and Bottema had an athletic scooping layup to make it 23-18. Payton Wilgar scored on an and-1 play that made it 26-20 moments later and Dixie would never trail again.

But that’s not to say Salem Hills didn’t make the Flyers earn it. The Skyhawks pulled to within 41-40 early in the third quarter. But Cuff had a three-point play and Bottema hit a trey as part of a 12-0 Dixie run that made it 53-40 with 3:24 to go in the third.

Again, Salem Hills surged, scoring nine straight points, including a steal and score by Cole Griffin. Wilgar hit a critical driving layup with one second left in the third to make it a 55-49 Dixie lead with eight minutes to go.

“Every time we play Salem Hills, it always comes down to the end,” Dixie coach Ryan Cuff said. “We’ve kind of created a rivalry with them – a good one, a wholesome one. They’re a very good basketball team.”

Dixie scored seven quick points to start the fourth quarter, including a corner 3 by Tanner Cuff, to push the lead back to 13 at 62-49. The closest Salem Hills would get the rest of the way was the final score after Jacob Rolfe hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Dixie, 3-0, plays again Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Wasatch. The Skyhawks battle Desert Hills at 1 p.m. at Dixie High.

Desert Hills 64, Wasatch 45 (Ken Robinson Classic)

Tyler Marz had 15 points and Trevin Lindstrom, starting for injured Tucker Peterson, had 12 points and five assists as the Thunder blasted the 5A Wasps.

Peterson broke his wrist at practice Thursday and is expected to be out at least a month. But Lindstrom and the rest of the Thunder picked up the slack for their leading scorer. Four different players scored in double figures and nine different players scored in the rout.

File photo: Desert Hills’ Tyler Marz (35), Desert Hill vs. Dixie, 3A State Boys Basketball, Logan, Utah, Feb. 25, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Tyler Marz and his twin brother, Ryan, combined to go 10 for 14 from the field in the contest. Ryan added 10 points to his brother’s 15 as the two 6-foot-6 players dominated the smaller Wasatch team.

Lindstrom and Tyler Marz each hit a 3-pointer as Desert Hills started the game on a 12-3 run over the first 3 1/2 minutes. By the time 65 seconds had elapsed in the second quarter, the lead was all the way up to 25-11.

Wasatch actually cut the Thunder lead to 41-34 on a basket by Brandon Maxwell with 3:05 left in the third quarter, but the Marz brothers combined for six quick points and it was 47-36 after three.

In the fourth, Lindstrom and Trey Allred hit back-to-back treys to help put the game away. In the game, Tyler Marz also had seven rebounds and a couple of steals while Taylor Cox added 10 points for Desert Hills, which is 3-0 thus far this season.

The Thunder play Salem Hills at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game can be heard on ESPN SportsRadio 97.7 FM.

Cedar 54, Moapa Valley 49 (Bulldog Invitational)

The Redmen trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but rallied just before intermission to take a 27-24 halftime lead. Cedar then led by as many as 11 in the second half before settling for the five-point victory.

Dallin Peterson led the way with 20 points. The junior guard came into the game averaging just 8.5 points a contest, but was hot from all over. He was aided by Ethan Boettcher, who had 10 points. Treyton Tebbs and Alec Jacoby had eight each.

Cedar improves to 2-2 on the season and will play again Saturday in Mesquite with the opponent and time yet to be determined.

Canyon View 61, Mountain Crest 53 (North vs. South tourney)

Brantzen Blackner continues his amazing senior season with 23 more points for the Falcons. The shooting guard has scored 22 points or more in six of Canyon View’s seven games this season.

Brantzen Blackner

Joey Lambeth added 17 points for the Falcons, who outscored the Mustangs 14-8 in the second quarter and 21-17 in the fourth quarter. Canyon View was also sharp at the line, making 20 of 26 free throws for 77 percent.

Canyon View has had a busy and difficult preseason, improving to 2-5 so far. The Falcons headed home Friday and will play again next Friday at South Sevier.

Ridgeline 67, Snow Canyon 53 (North vs. South tourney)

Braden Baker bested his career high (29) by scoring 30 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Warriors, who dropped to 1-5 with the loss.

Baker, who averaged 15.2 points a game last season, hadn’t even topped 20 points yet this season in a game. But that changed against the Riverhawks. The senior guard hit six 3-pointers en route to his big night.

Joey Robertson chipped in nine points for SC, while Bryson Childs had six points and eight rebounds. Childs is averaging 11.2 rebounds a game this season. Benjamin Johnson had 22 to pace Ridgeline, which is 3-2 overall.

Snow Canyon plays again Saturday at the North vs. South tourney, battling Mountain Crest at 1 p.m. at Sky View High.

Sky View 62, Pine View 42 (North vs. South tourney)

Playing at home, the Bobcats were red-hot, making 25 of 41 shots against the visiting Panthers (60 percent). That number includes three 3-pointers and a bunch of layups as Sky View improved to 4-1 on the season.

For Pine View, Hunter Moore had 14 points, including four 3-pointers. But the rest of the team had just 30 points on 11 for 29 shooting from the floor (38 percent). Leading scorer Tayler Tobler was just 2 for 6 from the floor and finished with just five points.

It’s just the first loss of the season for the Panthers (4-1), who will play again in the North vs. South tourney Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. contest scheduled against defending state champion Ridgeline.

Region 9 girls basketball scores
Riverton 50, Pine View 41 – Claire Newby led the Panthers with 16 points
Snow Canyon 45, Ridgeline 42 – Tylei Jensen led SC with 12 points
Spanish Fork 48, Hurricane 37 – Alexa Christensen led Hurricane with 13 points

Region 9 Boys Basketball Standings
Desert Hills 3-0
Dixie 3-0
Pine View 4-1
Cedar 2-2
Canyon View 2-5
Snow Canyon 1-5
Hurricane 0-2

Region 9 Girls Basketball Standings
Cedar 3-1
Dixie 2-2
Pine View 1-1
Snow Canyon 2-3
Canyon View 1-4
Hurricane 1-3
Desert Hills 0-3

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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