Region 10 boys basketball: Crimson edges Dixie in OT thriller; Cedar, Snow Canyon also win

Written by E. George Goold
January 14, 2022
Snow Canyon hosts Pine View in a Region 10 boys basketball game, St. George, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Boys basketball action in Region 10 took a dramatic turn Friday night as local fans were treated to the first overtime game of the regular season.

All three home teams won, but each did it differently as Snow Canyon pulled away late to remain undefeated, Cedar picked up its first region win and Crimson Cliffs rallied for an overtime victory over Dixie in what is already being called the game of the year so far.

Following are recaps of Friday night’s games:

Crimson Cliffs 71, Dixie 70 (OT)

At Crimson Cliffs, Hudson Hawes sank a game-winning 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining in overtime as the Mustangs remained unbeaten in Region 10 play.

The Dixie Flyers appeared to be in control, up by eight points with one minute remaining.

Dixie at Crimson Cliffs, Region 10 boys basketball, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022 | Photo by Aaron Crane, St. George News

But Hawes and the Mustangs took advantage of some missed free throws by Dixie, and slowly but surely came back to win the contest in overtime.

Hawes led all scorers with 28 points, including six 3-pointers. He was also responsible for two key 4-point plays late in the game.

Dixie led 32-25 at halftime and 49-41 going into the fourth quarter. But Crimson Cliffs tied it in regulation after winning the fourth frame 17-9, leading to Hawes’ heroics in the extra session.

Dixie shot 25-for-41 from the free throw line in the contest. Kyle Lemke led the way with 21 points for the Flyers while Cam Dyer scored 17. Jordan Roberts and Grant Carter scored 10 points apiece.

Along with Hawes’ scorching night, Crimson Cliffs got 21 points from Jordan Eaton and 15 from Bridger Jones in the victory.

Crimson Cliffs improved to 10-3 overall and 4-0 in Region 10 play after the win. The Mustangs are at Cedar Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile Dixie slipped to 10-4, 2-2 after the setback. The Flyers are at Hurricane Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Editor’s Note: This report was updated Jan. 15 to include scoring stats from the Mustangs-Flyers game.

Snow Canyon 54, Pine View 43

The Panthers kept it close for three quarters behind an active defense and some timely buckets. But Snow Canyon was strong in front of its raucous student section and pulled ahead late for the win.

Snow Canyon started off with a 13-10 lead after the first quarter and upped that advantage to 25-22 at halftime.

“I just think they’re well coached,” Snow Canyon coach Doug Meacham told St. George News. “I think they have great ball movement and patience. We broke down defensively and we just have to be more engaged throughout the whole possession.”

Bensen Shepherd led Pine View with 10 points, half of those in the final quarter. Rushton Shaw scored nine points and Griffen Shepherd contributed eight points for the Panthers in the defeat.

A key sequence occurred in the third quarter. Snow Canyon came out of the intermission with two buckets from Kaleb Anderson-Forman and a dunk by Lyman Simmons that gave the Warriors a 33-28 lead.

A couple of minutes later, Pine View’s Tyson Moten and Snow Canyon’s Owen Mackay battled for possession of a loose ball. 

After the whistle, Moten had a few words for Mackay and was called for a technical foul.

Mackay sank only one of the free throws, but Snow Canyon’s lead was 39-32 going into the fourth quarter and Pine View never really got back into the contest after that.

When Anderson-Forman snagged a defensive rebound and then fed Bowen Hammer for a 3-pointer, Snow Canyon had amassed a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Snow Canyon hosts Pine View in a Region 10 boys basketball game, St. George, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Anderson-Forman, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored 10 points in the contest. He was all over the glass, getting key rebounds on both sides of the floor and he showed off an impressive leaping ability.

“He’s just learned to take what the defense gives him. He’s really doing a good job of catching the ball and being under control and balance,” Meacham said. “He’s an elite rebounder. He’s one of the best if not the best rebounding player I’ve coached.” 

Snow Canyon had four players with double-digit scoring in the win. Simmons led the way with 16 points and Hammer scored 12. Along with Anderson-Forman, Mackay chipped in 10 points for the winners.

The Warriors, 15-0 overall and 5-0 in region, get Wednesday off and next play at Cedar on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m.

“Recovery is going to be huge on our off days,” Meacham said. “Sometimes a little bit of sacrifice on the weekends down the stretch to get some rest is what you need to try to get something special.”

Pine View fell to 6-7, 1-3 after the defeat and hosts Desert Hills next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Cedar 63, Desert Hills 48

The Reds picked up their first region win of the season behind 19 points from Zab Santana.

Cedar led only 18-17 after a high scoring first quarter, but then the Reds clamped down on defense and held the Thunder to single-digit scoring in the second and third frames.

Cedar took a 33-25 lead into halftime and was comfortably ahead 50-34 going into the fourth quarter.

Desert Hills at Cedar, Region 10 boys basketball, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Eric Fieldsted, St. George News / Cedar City News

Along with Santana, the victorious Reds were led by Aaron Munson’s 12 points and 11 points from Stockton Albrecht.

Cedar improved to 7-7, 1-3 with the win and hosts Crimson Cliffs Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Desert Hills got 15 points from leading scorer Lincoln Holmes in the defeat and Eli Allred scored 12. As a team, the Thunder knocked down eight 3-pointers in the game.

The Thunder fell to 4-10, 0-5 and next plays at Pine View on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Region 10 boys basketball standings (as of Jan. 15)

  1. Snow Canyon, 5-0, 15-0.
  2. Crimson Cliffs, 4-0, 10-3.
  3. Dixie, 2-2, 10-4.
  4. Hurricane, 2-2, 9-5.
  5. Cedar, 1-3, 7-7.
  6. Pine View, 1-3, 6-7.
  7. Desert Hills, 0-5, 4-10.

Next Wednesday’s games:

  • Desert Hills at Pine View, 7 p.m.
  • Dixie at Hurricane, 7 p.m.
  • Crimson Cliffs at Cedar, 7 p.m.  

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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