OREM — The much anticipated matchup between Utah’s top two 4A girls basketball teams followed a script written by the Ridgeline Riverhawks.
Ridgeline’s pressure defense stymied Snow Canyon and the Riverhawks won the 4A girls state championship resoundingly, 58-34, Wednesday afternoon at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The curtain dropped on Snow Canyon’s season with the Warriors posting a 24-3 record. They were the unbeaten champions of Region 9.
Meanwhile the back-to-back state champs finished 25-2. Their average game score was 66-32. Ridgeline beat Region 11 rivals Bear River 83-9 and Mountain Crest 73-12. Ridgeline’s only two losses came in a preseason tournament Dec. 8-9 against two teams from Texas.
“They’re strong, they’re physical, they play very good defense and you can’t leave them open on the outside. They’re going to just knock you on 3’s,” Snow Canyon coach Sue Hoskins, who guided her team to the state title game in her first season on the bench, told St. George News.
Ridgeline took the wind out of Snow Canyon’s sails when they held the Warriors to just three points in the first quarter.
Olivia Hamlin sank two free throws and Chaylee Andrews made one free throw to account for Snow Canyon’s output in the first session.
Hamlin converted two and-1’s and a bucket for Snow Canyon’s eight points in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Ridgeline’s Elise Livingston sank three 3’s to lead the Riverhawks into halftime ahead 27-11.
Joey Jensen and Hamlin helped the Warriors to 14 points in the third for Snow Canyon, but the Warriors could not get back into the game as Halle Smith sank a 3 and Ridgeline was in command 44-25 going into the last quarter of play.
Hamlin scored a team-high 19 points for Snow Canyon but came up 0-for-7 from 3-point land.
Snow Canyon finished 0-for-11 on 3-pointers in the contest after Ridgeline fiercely defended the perimeter.
In all, Ridgeline’s defense held Snow Canyon to 12-of-46 shooting from the field.
The much anticipated head-to-head matchup between Snow Canyon’s Hamlin and Ridgeline’s Emily Skinner, both juniors, did not really materialize as Skinner had foul trouble and Ridgeline coach Ansli Jenks rotated defenders on Hamlin throughout the contest.
“I thought Hamlin was a little out of her game in that first half,” Hoskins said. “I think there’s a little bit of a difference between an experienced team and a team just getting here, but I promised the girls we will be back in this game next year.”
Jensen was Snow Canyon’s second-leading scorer with eight points.
Chloe White, Alyssa Staheli and Makasini Fonua all had single buckets and Andrews finished with a free throw to account for the Warriors’ scoring in the loss.
The winners got 17 points from Skinner in limited action with her foul trouble. Senior Elise Livingston led all scorers in the game with 20 points, including four 3’s, for Ridgeline.
With Snow Canyon’s solid junior corps of Hamlin, Jensen and Kelly Howard, the Warriors have every reason to believe that they can be back in the title game next year.
Hoskins said that the team learned a lot in the defeat that will help them make the journey again.
“We gotta get more kids involved. We gotta get our post play better with our young posts coming up,” Hoskins said. “We’ve got to have an all-around game and we’ve got to be ready for the big game. I’m totally confident that we’ll be ready.”
Photo Gallery
Snow Canyon's Chaylee Andrews attacks Ridgeline in a 4A girls state basketball championship game, Orem, Utah, Feb. 28, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Ridgeline's Emily Skinner (left) defends Snow Canyon's Olivia Hamlin (right) in a 4A girls state basketball championship game, Orem, Utah, Feb. 28, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon's Joey Jensen, here in a file photo, was named to the All-Region 9 1st Team, St. George, Utah, March 13, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon's Joey Jensen attacks Ridgeline in a 4A girls state basketball championship game, Orem, Utah, Feb. 28, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Ridgeline's Emily Skinner (left) defends Snow Canyon's Olivia Hamlin (right) in a 4A girls state basketball championship game, Orem, Utah, Feb. 28, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon's Macie Hoskins attacks Ridgeline in a 4A girls state basketball championship game, Orem, Utah, Feb. 28, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
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