Eagles soar past Lone Peak in OT

TAYLORSVILLE — Dani Peterson really likes Amanda Farish, but she couldn't think about that as she tried to keep the Lone Peak forward from scoring.

"I couldn't goof off," said Peterson after her Eagles defeated Lone Peak in overtime 56-49 in the last game of the 5A state tournament's first round at Salt Lake Community College. "We're friends, but I didn't say a word to her."

Peterson and Farish offered fans an exciting match up in the paint, and the best part about watching the two players go head to head is that they're both sophomores.

"I thought Dani did a great job," said Skyline head coach Deb Bennett. "(Farish) was tough to stop, but that's what we wanted to do."

Peterson finished with 14 points, five blocks and seven rebounds. Sophomore point guard Jenteal Jackson had five assists to go with her 17 points as she ran the Eagles' offense under tremendous Knight defensive pressure.

"This was a great match-up," Bennett said with a smile. "They're so athletic...They have a great coaching staff. Our kids worked as a team, and kept playing forward."

Mari Larsen led the Lone Peak scorers with 13 points, while Farish and Whitlie Murdoch added 10 points each. Farish also had three blocked shots.

The game was close the entire contest, but Lone Peak led most of the first half. Halfway through the second quarter, the Eagles caught the Knights and stayed with or ahead of them the rest of the way.

"We got too passive at the end of the first half," said Lone Peak coach Keith Flood. "I said before the game, the team that was more aggressive would win...We just mentally zoned out and didn't execute the way we should have."

Foul trouble plagued both starting line-ups, but hurt the Knights much more in the end. Both Farish and Mikala Wilkes fouled out in the fourth quarter leaving the team without a point guard and it's leading rebounder.

The Eagles lost Emily Copier to fouls, but junior Liz Johnson came off the bench and made some key plays.

"Liz is a great player," Bennett said. "I'm just glad she was confident out there."

Johnson's biggest contribution may have been the loose ball she grabbed with the score tied at 45. Peterson blocked a shot and Johnson came up with the ball and then she was fouled. She hit both freethrows giving the Eagles a two-point advantage. The Knights tied it up on a subsequent play, but Johnson answered with a 3-point shot that gave Skyline the advantage the rest of the way.