ST. GEORGE — The girls basketball team from Desert Hills High School got production from its deep senior class and now will play for the 4A state championship.
Desert Hills beat Sky View 55-43 in the second semifinal of the girls 4A state basketball tournament Tuesday afternoon on the campus of Dixie State University at Burns Arena.
“I came with a game plan to try to keep calm a little bit more, and I worked on that,” Desert Hills coach Ron Denos said. “I think that helped keep their composure. The girls have been here now for three years, some of them, so that sure plays a big part.”
Desert Hills got off to a good start against the Bobcats, jumping ahead 15-12 after the first quarter.
Alivia Cluff had the early hot hand for the Thunder, sinking back-to-back 3-pointers to stake Desert Hills to a 9-8 lead.
Then Sedelle Springer threw in a long ball, putting the Thunder ahead 12-8. The other three points for Desert Hills came from a Julia Jacobsen bucket and a free throw from senior Sa’de Turlington.
“We’re usually a slow team in the first quarter and we never really come out strong,” Turlington said. “So it was really important, we made it a goal as a team to come out strong.”
After the hot start to the game, the second quarter was equally cold as the teams combined to score 10 points. Desert Hills clung to a 19-18 lead at halftime.
Turnlington and fellow senior guard Enid Vaifanua finished off a couple of fast breaks with easy buckets and Desert Hills jumped to a 28-20 lead at 3:00 in the third quarter.
Vaifanua sliced her way through the paint for another layup and Jacobsen’s bucket put Desert Hills up by 10 at 32-22.
The Thunder led 34-23 going into the fourth quarter. Desert Hills held Sky View to six points in the second quarter and five points in the third.
“I think our girls did a very good job not panicking,” Denos said. “Then we settled down and like I told the girls, they just stayed with the game plan, our process that we do, and it got us over the top.”
Turlington, Cluff and Vaifanua scored 13 points apiece to lead the Thunder to the win.
Jacobsen finished with 10 points. Springer made six points off of two 3-pointers to round out the Desert Hills scoring. Each of those players is a senior.
Sky View was led by Macey Hellstern and her 10 points. Hannah Radford scored nine and Melanie Hiatt scored seven in the defeat.
This is group of Thunder players suffered back-to-back semifinal losses at the state tournament the last two years.
The championship game Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Burns Arena will be a rematch of the 4A state volleyball championship last October, which Ridgeline won in a sweep.
“We’re just gonna want it more,” Turlington said. “We’re hungry to win.”
Photo Gallery
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Desert Hills beats Sky View in a 4A girls state basketball tournament game, St. George, Utah, Feb. 22, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
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