ST. GEORGE — The 4A Utah state basketball tournament tipped off in Logan at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning and all the action will be covered in St. George News and The Fan Sports Network.
Region 10 teams on the boys side playing today include defending 4A champion and No. 4 Snow Canyon against No. 5 Crimson Cliffs (9:30 a.m.) and No. 2 Dixie against No. 7 Desert Hills (12:50 p.m.).
Girls games kick off later on Thursday. Region 10 champion and No. 3 Snow Canyon plays No. 6 Bear River at 4:10 p.m.
Thursday night, defending 4A champion and No. 8 Desert Hills faces undefeated No. 1 Ridgeline in a rematch of last year’s state championship game. The Thunder and the Riverhawks tip off at 7:30 p.m.
The nightcap will have No. 4 Green Canyon playing No. 5 Dixie, scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m.
All 4A boys and girls games will be played at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on the campus of Utah State University.
St. George News will have recaps of the action shortly after the games are played. Fans can catch the live stream of each state tournament game at The Fan Sports Network.
Updated 4A brackets will be posted on the Utah High School Athletic Association website.
Crimson Cliffs 40, Snow Canyon 37
The 4A state boys basketball tournament started off with an early upset Thursday morning when Crimson Cliffs held on to knock off Snow Canyon.
The Region 10 teams meeting in the state tournament battled every possession and neither squad held a lead of more than five points in the game.
Phoenix McWillis set the tone early for Crimson Cliffs, scoring nine points for the Mustangs in the first half.
Owen Mackay answered with seven for Snow Canyon and the teams were tied 18-18 at the halftime break.
The game remained a low scoring, defensive struggle as Crimson took a slim 30-28 lead into the final quarter of play.
Then Houston Johnsen stepped up for Crimson Cliffs. The 6-foot-8 senior scored from the paint to give Crimson a 32-28 lead to start the fourth.
Cy Meacham answered with an NBA-distance 3-pointer for Snow Canyon. But Johnsen sank a free throw and had a bucket in back-to-back Crimson possessions, helping the Mustangs cling to a four-point lead.
Then with the teams tied 37-37, Jace Sweeten was fouled and made one of two free throws for Crimson with 35.4 seconds remaining.
After a timeout Snow Canyon worked the ball around to Will Warner in the paint, but his shot attempt was blocked by Johnsen. Warner then fouled Johnsen to stop the clock.
Both of Johnsen’s free throws were good, providing the final margin.
Snow Canyon had 7.1 seconds to attempt a final shot but Bear Leavitt’s 3-pointer missed and the Mustangs held on to advance to the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
“Our guys stepped up defensively big time,” Crimson Cliffs first-year head coach Kent Fairbourn told The Fan Sports Network after the win.
“That’s kind of been our identity all year, we had to win it on defense,” he added. “They got it done and we got enough baskets to get the lead and took care of it.”
McWillis led the Mustangs with 11 points. Jordan Eaton had nine for the winners and Johnsen scored seven.
Snow Canyon got 14 points from Mackay, 13 from Warner and nine from Meacham.
The Mustangs will face the winner of No. 1 Sky View against No. 8 Logan, and their semifinal matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday night.
Dixie 72, Desert Hills 63
The No. 2 seed and co-Region 10 champion Flyers used the same game plan that worked in 20 other victories this season to beat the Thunder comfortably.
Dixie went on a run and won the second quarter 25-12, taking a 38-24 lead into halftime. Once the Flyers get a big lead, they are very tough to beat and that proved true in the second half.
Chomp Jones opened the third quarter with a long 3-pointer for Desert Hills.
But Jordan Roberts answered right back for Dixie, canning his own 3. On the next possession Roberts weaved through defenders and scooped in a nice teardrop.
But Lincoln Holmes, the Thunder senior playing in his last basketball game, had back-to-back buckets. Landon Esplin had a steal and score and Desert Hills trailed 43-33.
Holmes splashed a 3-pointer and Boston Holbrook had a pull-up jumper at the buzzer as the Thunder cut Dixie’s lead to seven, 52-45, going into the final quarter.
But Dixie secured the win with a 12-2 run to open the fourth.
Breckon Robinson sliced through the lane for two, Roberts scored again, Robison swished a 3, Grant Carter scored a traditional 3-point play and Kyle Lemke scored in the Dixie run.
Holmes responded again with a Thunder 3-pointer to stop the run, but Dixie was ahead for good 64-50 with 4:04 remaining.
Roberts finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Lemke netted 17 points and grabbed five boards for Dixie and John Southwick scored seven and collected nine rebounds in the win. Grant Carter scored 12.
Robinson led Dixie with 19 points in the win.
“We stuck to our game plan and we played our game,” Robinson told The Fan Sports Network after the win, adding that the Flyers follow their leaders.
“Kyle is a great big guy, he’ll find us,” Robinson said. “And so is Jordan. Jordan is pushing it down the court and we know as wings, if we’re on the floor, he’ll find us. If we’re open or even if we’re not open.”
Holmes poured in a game-high 24 before Desert Hills bowed out. Holbrook was next with 13 for the Thunder. Jones and Jackson Holman scored nine points apiece in the setback.
Dixie advances to face the winner of the game between No. 3 Ridgeline and No. 6 Layton Christian Academy. They will play in a semifinal Friday night at 7:40 p.m.
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