ST. GEORGE — The final week of Region 9’s regular boys basketball season wrapped up Thursday night. The region’s top three teams – Dixie, Cedar and Pine View – each won both of their games this week to maintain their spots in the standings. Following is a recap of this week’s action:

Tuesday’s games

Cedar 60, Crimson Cliffs 57

At Cedar City High, the Reds made two key defensive stops in the final seconds to preserve the narrow win over Crimson Cliffs. The Mustangs had started strong, building a lead of as much as 17 points during the first half.

“The first half we came out really flat,” Cedar head coach Mark Esplin said. “We got down to 17 at one time about midway through the second, but we were able to get it down to a nine-point lead at the half. In the second half, the first four minutes were huge. We cut into their nine-point lead. We got it back to even, and then Zab (Santana) hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third to get us up three.”

Cedar makes 2 defensive stops in final seconds, Reds win 60-57 pic.twitter.com/gUbf2jdC3n

— St. George News Sports (@STGnewsSports) February 12, 2020

Cedar led 40-37 heading into the final period, which featured multiple lead changes. With one minute left, the Mustangs stole the ball and drove for a layup, putting them ahead 57-56. A few seconds later, Cedar guard Treyton Tebbs drew a foul. He made both free throws to put Cedar ahead 58-57.

Crimson ran the clock down to 26 seconds, then called timeout to set up a play. Then, as the final seconds ticked away, they drove inside, only to get the ball taken away by Tebbs, who was fouled again immediately afterward, with about six seconds left. He again made both free throws, giving the Reds a three-point cushion.

Crimson had one last chance to tie at the end, but guard Trei Rockhill’s straightaway 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short, as he was closely guarded by Santana.

“Defense wins games,” Esplin added. “We got the stop we needed to. We’ve got to contest any three, but don’t foul on it.”

Santana led all scorers with 15 points, while Gaige Savage added 14 and Tebbs contributed 10 for Cedar. Crimson Cliffs was led by Cole Sampson’s 14 points, with Jaxson Schneider and Daxton Carroll adding 10 apiece.

— written by Jeff Richards

Dixie 61, Hurricane 47

The Flyers had a balanced scoring attack as they took down the Tigers at home. Hurricane was up by one going into the second quarter, but Dixie went on a run that gave the Flyers a 10-point lead at halftime. The Flyers controlled the second half and came away with the win.

Ten of the Dixie players registered at least one point, while Dax Dayley led the way for Hurricane with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Pine View 56, Canyon View 47

At Canyon View, the Pine View Panthers pulled out a nine-point win over the Falcons. Both teams played evenly in the first quarter, which ended with the score tied 12-12. Guard Trevor Farrow hit a 3-pointer to start off the second quarter, giving Canyon View a 15-12 lead. However, Pine View outscored the Falcons 20-7 during the remainder of the second period to take a 32-22 halftime lead.

The Panthers managed to stay ahead throughout the second half, eventually winning 56-47.

“I thought we played tough tonight on the defensive end,” Pine View head coach Ryan Eves said. “We got some big stops when it mattered most. There are some things we could do a better job of offensively, and we will get better. This region is always tough, night in and night out.”

Jared Sudweeks led Pine View with 14 points, while Taiven Shepherd added 11. Canyon View was led by Cody Spencer’s 12 points, with Farrow adding 11.

— written by Jeff Richards

Snow Canyon 64, Desert Hills 53

Snow Canyon got a big road win over the Thunder on Tuesday night, winning 64-53. The Warriors controlled the game from the jump with great defensive play and easy looks around the basket.

Lyman Simmons pulled down a big double double on the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Snow Canyon. His size played a big role as Desert Hills was without their center, Keegan Munson. Justin Judkins led all scorers with 19 points and did it all for the Thunder.

The Warriors were able to keep Mason Chase and Peyton Holmes pretty quiet, combining for only 19 points, which also was a factor in the win.

Read more about the Snow Canyon boys basketball team and how they are playing going into the postseason here.

Thursday’s games

Crimson Cliffs 71, Canyon View 48

The Mustangs only led by one at the half, but their offense exploded in the second half to get the home win over the Falcons.

Jaxson Schneider led the way for the Mustangs with 15 points while Jacob Nielsen added 13 points.

Dixie 56, Desert Hills 39

Dixie beat Desert Hills on the road to finish the region season with just one loss.

Isaac Finlinson had 18 for the Flyers, and Mason Chase had 12 points for the Thunder.

Cedar 63, Snow Canyon 53

After a low-scoring first half that ended with Cedar leading Snow Canyon 15-14, the Reds came alive in the third quarter, making five 3-pointers and outscoring the Warriors 26-15. Cedar held on down the stretch to win by 10 points, 63-53.

Senior Landon Barney said the Reds were determined to play better defense in the second half.

“We started with our guns on defense and then slowly transitioned to our offense,” Barney said. “That’s our whole offensive scheme right there. Defense is everything.”

Barney said he and fellow senior Branson Coates, who also started on senior night, “played our hearts out and gave everything we had.”

Esplin spoke of the halftime adjustments the team made.

“I didn’t even yell at them at halftime,”  he said. “All I said is, ‘Guys, the good thing is we’ve only scored 15 but we only gave up 14, so we’re up one.’ We knew they would make some shots in the second half. We just got to get back to what we do and we’ve got to execute. We’ve got to take advantage of the things. We’ve got to run when we get the opportunity. And that’s what we did. Apparently, we have to give up a few to score a few.”

The Reds had four players score in double figures, with Dallin Grant and Landon Barney each netting 12 and Luke Armstrong and Gaige Savage each scoring 11. The Warriors were led by freshman center Lyman Simmons’ 19 points, while senior guard McKay Meacham added 13.

The Reds wrap up the regular season in second place with a 10-4 region record, while Snow Canyon finishes 4-10. Both teams will know their initial playoff opponents when the Utah High School Activities Association releases its final RPI rankings on Saturday.

— written by Jeff Richards

Pine View 66, Hurricane 58

Pine View ended the season on a high note, winning seven of their last nine games, including a win against the Tigers on the road. Hurricane came out with some energy on their senior night and led by seven at the end of the first quarter. Pine View responded in the second quarter, but Hurricane still had the lead by one at halftime.

Going into the fourth quarter Pine View was up by one, but they were able to grind out the win in the second half.

Ryan Hopper dropped a season-high 25 points for the Panthers, and Michael Moore added 11 points. For Hurricane, Dax Dayley had 22 points while Bryce Thomas and TJ Minor both had 14 points.

Final Region 9 standings

1. Dixie 13-1 (19-3)
2. Cedar 10-4 (16-6)
3. Pine View 9-5 (13-8)
4. Crimson Cliffs 7-7 (10-11)
5. Desert Hills 7-7 (10-12)
6. Hurricane 5-9 (12-10)
7. Snow Canyon 4-10 (8-15)
8. Canyon View 1-13 (5-18)

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