Lehi Sports
Falcon girls hoops gets 2nd in league
Jennifer Thomas and Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Skyridge High School girls basketball team wrapped up second place in Region 3 last week with victories in their final two league contests. The Falcons are 14-9 overall and drew the No. 11 seed in the final 6A RPI rankings.
Skyridge got a bye in the first round and will head to No. 6 Bingham (15-8) on Thursday (Feb. 19) for a 7 p.m. second-round contest. The Miners finished fourth in Region 2.
The team that wins this game will be matched against either No. 3 Cedar Valley (15-7), the Region 2 champion, or No. 14 Riverton (7-15) in the quarterfinals on Feb. 25 at 4:10 p.m. at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center.
The Falcons have had an up-and-down season with injuries and other player absences requiring lineup adjustments, but they are scrappy, balanced and tough defensively. Any opponent would be unwise to overlook them as they’re quite capable of making a run in the tournament.
Feb. 10: Skyridge 54, Corner Canyon 45
The Falcons started strong on the road against the Chargers on their Senior Night, outscoring their hosts 18-11 in the first quarter. Corner Canyon made up a little ground before the break but still trailed at the half and Skyridge maintained control to the end of the contest.
Sophomore guard Hallee Sheffield led a diffused offensive effort with 13 points plus four assists. Sophomore guard Elena Chiara and senior forward Aiden Beck each netted three triples and finished with 11 points and two steals. Chiara snagged nine rebounds and Beck got three.
Senior forward Ariane Moeai had a busy and productive outing with five points, three boards, three assists and seven steals. Senior guard Lily Grant sank two shots from long distance for six points. Senior guard Kyah Perkins collected three rebounds.
Feb. 13: Skyridge 56, American Fork 55
The Falcon home finale was a classic Region 3 clash, showcasing pure determination to end the regular season. The resilient Skyridge girls navigated a difficult final frame to capture the victory on Senior Night.
“This is similar to the last game with American Fork,” said Coach Shaylee Nielsen. “It was close as can be throughout the game. Credit is due to American Fork for switching defense on us which made us cold in the fourth quarter.”
Despite being outscored 19-11 in the final period, the Falcons rallied defensively and made stops when they counted. Beck rebounded the ball aggressively throughout the game and bodied up defensively on the Caveman interior players.
Moeai displayed excellence in rebounding and composure on and off the court. Chiara dominated the Caveman frontcourt with relentless hustle and multiple steals. Grant shut down the last-minute threats by American Fork with high-intensity defense to secure the win for the Falcons.
“Huge credit to Lily Grant who, during the final quarter, missed many baskets in a row, but still pulled it out at the end with a three-pointer to win the game,” the coach said.
“That is her mentality. She is always confident and she trusted herself to make the shot at the end of the game to put us ahead. She played good defense in the final minutes to get stops,” said Nielsen.
Grant led the Falcons with 15 points including three triples and made three steals as well. Chiara produced a double-double of 12 points plus 10 rebounds along with four assists, four steals and two blocked shots in an outstanding effort for the evening.
Sheffield also contributed 12 points with one trey, four rebounds and four assists. Moeai ended the game with four points plus four rebounds and three assists with no turnovers. Beck, freshman guard Nalei Nelson and senior guard Abby Dotson added three points each.
“This group is all in no matter what we ask them to do. They had so much energy tonight. They love each other and they played hard for each other,” the coach added. The solid teamwork and sportsmanship paved the way for a well-deserved Falcon victory and overall successful season.
Senior varsity athletes Grant, center Avery Hughes, Dotson, Moeai, guard Kyah Perkins, injured forward Ellah Oeser and Beck were celebrated with flowers, applause and gifts. Senior team managers Trey Mahe, Haden Goodrich and Luke Forsyth were also honored.
“I will really miss this group of seniors,” Nielsen said. “They are the best leaders and any quality we want in a ‘Skyridge Falcon’ is exemplified in this class. They are inclusive and positive. They make everyone feel valued and make it enjoyable to be a part of the team.
“They hold everyone accountable and have good character. I cannot say enough about them. They are the reason this year has been so great,” the coach said. “We are excited to see our final RPI ranking and make a run at state. We have as good a shot as any team this year in the state tournament.”
