Class 4A state basketball playoffs quarterfinals preview

Japrix Weaver of Cedar goes up for a shot, Canyon View at Cedar, Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 7, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Weaver, St. George News / Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — Eight teams from Region 9, four boys teams and four girls teams, advanced on to the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A state tournament, which will begin Thursday morning.

Two Region 9 matchups are scheduled to be played on Thursday with No. 4 Cedar boys and No. 12 Desert Hills boys facing off while on the girls side, No. 3 Desert Hills will take on No. 6 Snow Canyon. Below are all the games involving Region 9 teams as well as their scheduled start time.

The live streams for the game are hyperlinked to the matchups and are provided by KSL and the WATCHit network.

Boys basketball

No. 4 Cedar vs No. 12 Desert Hills – 9:30 a.m. at Weber State

It is hard to beat any team three times in one season, but Desert Hills is hoping to do so against Cedar Thursday morning. In the first two meetings, the games proved to be an offensive clinic with over 70 points being scored by both teams. Desert Hills won both games by close margins, but the Reds are the higher seed in the tournament.

Look out for Mason Chase and Peyton Holmes for the Thunder while the Reds have Dallin Grant and Gaige Savage. Those combinations make up arguably two of the most lethal scoring backcourts in the region and state.

No. 1 Sky View vs No. 8 Hurricane – 11:10 a.m. at Weber State

The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinal round with a win over Bear River. Bryce Thomas and Daxton Dayley exploded on offense for the Tigers in the win and they’ll need a similar performance against Sky View, the top seed.

If the Tigers supporting cast can have an impact on the game while Thomas and Dayley put the ball in the basket, the top seed could be in trouble.

No. 2 Dixie vs No. 10 Green Canyon – 12:50 p.m. at Weber State

The Region 9 champion Flyers will take on Green Canyon, the third-place team out of Region 11. After taking down Snow Canyon at home in the quarterfinals, Coach Tyler Roberts and company are heading to Weber State as the highest-seeded Region 9 team left and the No. 2 seed overall.

Dixie’s balanced scoring attack and their size should play a big role as the Flyers look to advance on to the semifinals.

Girls basketball

No. 1 Cedar vs No. 8 Logan – 5:50 p.m. at Weber State

The Region 9 champion lady Reds have won their last three games by 25 points and are on a roll. They will take on the Logan Grizzlies in the quarterfinals on their hunt for a second straight Class 4A state tournament.

No. 2 Ridgeline vs No. 7 Pine View – 7:30 p.m. at Weber State

The Pine View Panthers are a team that is arguably better than their seed. They were without Sophie Jensen for over a month, and getting her back definitely gave their squad a boost. Add in Alex Olson and Averi Papa, and all of a sudden, you have a good group. That’s also before talking about players like Leiani Tonga and Ellie Wilson.

The Panthers will be a tough out for anybody, and even though they are a seven seed, they should not be taken lightly.

No. 3 Desert Hills vs No. 6 Snow Canyon – 9:10 p.m. at Weber State

The showdown of two of the top girls teams in the region and state will unfold on Thursday night as the Thunder play the Warriors for a third time. The first meeting of the two was a close game with the second being a blowout win for the Thunder. The big question mark is how Snow Canyon will handle the Desert Hills zone defense.

The zone defense can be cracked with great outside shooting, and that is something that the Warriors have. But will they be able to combat the size of the Thunder down low? The size of the Thunder and their length are their biggest weapons. That is what makes their defense so good. On the offensive side, they get a ton of easy baskets down low as a result of the size and length.

This game will be a fun one as the Thunder look to beat the Warriors for the third time while the Warriors hope to advance on to the semifinals.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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