Lehi Sports
Pioneer girls fall to Knights in state hoops
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
No. 12 Lehi High School girls basketball team faced off against Region 3 rival and No. 5 Lone Peak in the second round of the 6A state tournament on Thursday (Feb. 19). The Pioneers brought maximum effort to the court but ultimately fell short to the Knights 50-46 in the closing minutes.
It was a shootout in the first period, with Lehi sophomore guard Cali Ashton and Lone Peak’s Maddie Pope shooting lights-out early. It was a back-and-forth match throughout the first half of the game with Lone Peak on top 33-26 at the break.
“I could not be more proud of this team,” said Lehi head Coach Sean Seastrand. “That is what is hard about the playoffs. You get two teams that want it so badly, both teams played their guts out tonight because they both wanted to continue to play.”
The Pioneers came out on fire in the third quarter, outscoring the Knights by 10 and shifting the momentum of the game.
Lehi’s defensive prowess stymied Lone Peak’s offensive attack, but it wasn’t enough for the Pioneers as the Knights weathered Lehi’s aggressiveness and then overtook the Pioneers in the final period.
“Our girls stayed in the game and had a chance to win it against the defending champs but just came up a little short,” said Seastrand. “Obviously, Lone Peak has been to the final game several times and has the experience with swagger, but we hung in there with them tonight.
“Ultimately, this has been a great season, and these girls should hold their heads high,” the coach said. “Congrats to Lone Peak on a playoff win.”
Ashton, senior guard Brynlee Cook and senior forward Madi Andrews gave outstanding performances for Lehi throughout the game.
Ashton racked 17 points to go with seven rebounds and pressured Lone Peak all night. Cook dropped 13 points including a three-pointer with four boards and three steals, while Andrews hustled to add five more points for her game total along with collecting nine rebounds.
Junior guard Hayden Warren contributed three boards and three assists. Junior post Paisley Worthen provided four rebounds and senior forward Madi Ogden tallied three boards and a blocked shot.
Lehi’s defensive effort was stellar, nearly matching Lone Peak’s potent offensive attack. The Pioneers proved their hearts were stronger than the scoreboard, battling fiercely until the very end.
The Pioneer success was driven by practice in overcoming obstacles throughout the season, finishing with a 14-10 record.
“This team is extremely resilient,” Seastrand said. “They have had a lot of rough patches this season and some tough moments in which they had to fight and had to trust in each other and believe that if they just kept working together that good things would happen.
“At the end of the day, this shows a lot about their character. They’ve battled through injuries, losing streaks and different things that could have derailed their season, but didn’t. I’m really, really proud of them for their fight and resilience,” concluded Seastrand.
