Panthers, Flyers advance; No. 1 team in 4A ousted

ST. GEORGE – Pine View and Dixie each captured home wins in the first round of the 4A boys basketball state playoffs Friday night, while Hurricane and Canyon View both fell on the road.

But perhaps the biggest story of the night was the ousting of Juan Diego. The Soaring Eagle, hosting Sky View, were a top seed and the No. 1-ranked team in the state. But Juan Diego, at 22-1 coming into last night's game, got stunned by the Bobcats 50-41.

"I'm actually not that surprised, because Sky View has the best individual player in the state in (Mason) Falslev," said Pine View head coach Ryan Eves. "I talked to Sky View's coach last night and he said they were ready."

Sky View outscored the Soaring Eagle 20-8 in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset.

The Panthers just did get by Salem Hills, 53-46. Senior forward Connor Brooksby took an astounding five defensive charges in the game.

"Sometimes they hurt," said Brooksby, pointing to a huge goose egg on his elbow. "But it's totally worth it. It's a turnover and it got some of their best players on the bench in foul trouble."

The game was tight until an 11-3 run in the fourth quarter pushed Pine View up to an insurmountable 51-40 lead with two minutes to play.

Jared Sudweeks led the Panthers (14-8) with 11 points. Ryan Hopper and Jared Koller contributed 10 each as Pine View advances to the 4A quarterfinals Thursday at SUU at 2:30 p.m. against Bonneville, a 45-44 winner over Logan.

Dixie, meanwhile, had little trouble with Lehi at the Hangar. Hayden Cottle made five 3-pointers and Nic Roundy chipped in 11 points as the Flyers burst out to a 35-27 lead at halftime and grew the advantage to as many as 18 points in the second half.

Dixie is 18-5 overall and will play in the state quarterfinals at 9:30 a.m. at SUU's America First Arena Thursday morning. The Flyers square off against Sky View.

Hurricane, Region 9's No. 3 seed, fell behind early at Payson and never quite recovered in a 70-53 loss.

It was tight in the first quarter, but the Lions went on an 18-6 run in the second to take a 34-20 advantage at halftime.

Things didn't get any closer in the second as the Tigers finish the season with an 11-11 record. Bryce Thomas had a team-high 20 points for Hurricane.

Canyon View was also eliminated. The fourth-seeded Falcons were no match for 19-4 Orem, 74-56. Mason Lyman had 18 points, but it wasn't enough to offset the 24 from Orem's Ike Richards.

Here's a look at the 4A playoff results and schedule:

4A boys basketball state tournament first round
Upper bracket
Bonneville 45, Logan 44
Pine View 53, Salem Hills 46
Orem 74, Canyon View 56
Bear River 68, Tooele 55
Lower bracket
Payson 70, Hurricane 53
Green Canyon 69, Stansbury 66
Sky View 50, Juan Diego 41
Dixie 66, Lehi 50

4A boys basketball state tournament quarterfinals
Thursday, Feb. 28 (@SUU)
9:30 a.m. – Dixie (18-5) vs. Sky View (13-9)
11:10 a.m. – Payson (15-9) vs. Green Canyon (18-5)
12:50 p.m. – Orem (19-4) vs. Bear River (19-6)
2:30 p.m. – Pine View (14-8) vs. Bonneville (16-6)

4A boys basketball state tournament semifinals
Friday, Mar. 1 (@SUU)
5:50 p.m. – Orem/Bear River winner vs. Pine View/Bonneville winner
7:30 p.m. – Payson/Green Canyon winner vs. Dixie/Sky View winner

4A boys basketball state tournament championship game
Saturday, Mar. 2 (@SUU)
7 p.m. – Semifinal winners