Panguitch thumps Bryce Valley

RICHFIELD — Halie Sawyer has grown up in the shadow of her older and bigger sister, Jenna.

But when the senior center broke her foot just before basketball season started, the Bobcats looked to her little sister to carry the offensive load.

So now it's out of the shadows and into the spotlight for the sophomore who showed she can more than handle the responsibility of leading the Bobcat offense with a huge 23-point performance in the team's quarterfinal win over region-rival Bryce Valley, 48-21, Thursday night at the Sevier Valley Center.

"It did put a lot more pressure on me," she said. "I definitely expected more of myself, and my team probably looked to me, too."

She said she hones her hoops skills by playing one-on-one with her sister year-round.

"My dad always says we play the best defense, so when we play each other, we're playing against the toughest competition," Halie said of her father, Arlin Sawyer, who is a storied basketball player himself. "Playing against other people (after practicing with Jenna) feels so much easier!"

Jenna Sawyer kicked in eight points and three blocks in the win, but sat out when the team built up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

Both teams had a hard time getting their offenses started with the first points coming at 4:18 in the first quarter when Halie knocked down a jump shot. Panguitch scored fairly consistently after that despite voracious defensive effort by the Mustangs.

"They don't want to let the big girls score, and until our guards hit some outside shots, we rely on our defense," said coach Curtis Barney. "It's basically what's kept us in games all year. Bryce Valley is a good little basketball team, and they'll be back. They don't have a senior on the team."

He said not only has Halie Sawyer learned to fill the role of scoring leader, she's distinguishing herself with her "long arms and quick feet."

The Bobcats put her at the top of the key and she managed to intercept several passes.

Barney said it might be nice to play an opponent they don't know as well as those teams in their region, but he's happy to be winning.

Bryce Valley's girls basketball team hasn't beaten Panguitch in the 10 years since the school created a team. And while they have yet to earn a win against the five-time defending 1A champs, their coach believes they've earned a moral victory.