LOGAN – Juan Diego’s Trista Vawdrey hit two free throws with 2.7 seconds left as the Soaring Eagle captured the 3A girls state championship Saturday at the Smith Spectrum on the campus of Utah State University with a 34-32 victory over Richfield.

In the only game involving southern Utah teams, Desert Hills beat Cedar 35-32 with Elly Williams hitting the go-ahead basket with just seconds remaining. The win gives Desert Hills fifth place at the state tourney.

Morgan beat Carbon in the third-place game 47-45 with Brookelyn Hurlbut scoring 20 points to lead the Trojans to the win. Hurlbut’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds left provided the winning points.

In the championship game, Juan Diego avenged a 12-point loss to Richfield earlier in the season and gives the Soaring Eagle its second title in the past three years. Becca Curran, the tournament MVP, had 17 points and had briefly put JD ahead 32-30 with under two minutes to play with a pair of free throws.

All-tourney performer Caitlyn Nabity tied the game moments later with a driving layup in traffic to make it 32-all and set up the final drive and free throws by Vawdrey.

In the Desert Hills-Cedar game, the Lady Reds led by as many as 12 points in the first half behind the shooting of Japrix Weaver and Lindsey Robinson.

It was 24-12 just prior to halftime after a Robinson 3-pointer. But Morgan Myers matched it at the other end for the Thunder to make it a 24-15 score at intermission and the big shot seemed to ignite Desert Hills. The Thunder outscored Cedar 10-2 in the third quarter with Ashley Beckstrand hitting a jumper in the closing seconds to make it just a one-point game at 26-25.

In the fourth quarter, the lead see-sawed back and forth with Maisie Elison giving the Lady Reds their last lead of the game at 32-30 with 34 seconds to play.

Beckstrand drew a foul at the other end and buried both free throws to tie the game at 32-32. After a Cedar turnover, Beckstrand got off a shot for the lead, but missed short. Williams rebounded and banked the ball back into the hoop, drawing a foul on the play.

Though she missed the free throw, Beckstrand grabbed the offensive rebound and D-Hills hit a free throw to push the lead to three. A desperation heave at the buzzer was well off the mark and the Thunder were able to secure the win.

Beckstrand had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Desert Hills, which won two of three from Cedar on the season. The Thunder end the year with a 20-4 record. Williams had 11 points and seven boards and Myers finished with nine points.

For Cedar, 18-7, Weaver and Robinson had eight points each and Carley Davis led the team with nine rebounds.

3A STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS (@ USU)

CHAMPIONSHIP
Juan Diego 34, Richfield 32

SEMIFINALS
Juan Diego 53, Carbon 50
Richfield 48, Morgan 40

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
UPPER BRACKET
Carbon 59, Desert Hills 44
Juan Diego 44, Union 34
LOWER BRACKET
Richfield 42, Cedar 40 (F/OT)
Morgan 56, Grantsville 49

3A All-Academic girls basketball team
Emma Kosbab, Bear River; Sariah Rees, Bear River; Arianna Towne, Bear River; Lissie Westmoreland, Bear River; McKenna Sorenson, Carbon; Maisie Elison, Cedar; Emily Pearson, Cedar; Lindsey Robinson, Cedar; Grace Killian, Dixie; Lauren Magnesen, Dixie; Megan Jones, Juab; Brookelyn Hurlbut, Morgan.

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