Eagles soar to finals

TAYLORSVILLE — Skyline forward Dani Peterson left the semifinal game Friday midway through the first quarter in tears.

"I got hit in the head," the sophomore said after the Eagles defeated fourth-ranked Bingham 36-31 to earn a trip to the 5A championship game today, where they will take on No. 2 Mountain View at 8 p.m. "It felt like she punched me, and then she started talking to me. It just got to me."

So her coaches took her out and reminded her why she was on the floor.

"(Assistant coach) Natalie (Williams) just talked to me and told me to focus on my game, just use my moves," Peterson said. It took a few trips up and down the court, but by the second half, Peterson was smiling again.

"That's when I play best," she said after finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots. "When I'm having fun."

With every basket, Peterson's confidence seemed to solidify, and that was bad news for the Miners, who had to rely on free-throw shooting in the second half as they managed just four six field goals with 21 percent shooting.

"I think she came out very determined," said Eagles coach Deb Bennett of Peterson's break in the first quarter. "She's just a sophomore, and she hit her free throws down the stretch."

Bennett felt the Eagles' adjustments defensively made the difference in the game.

"We switched to a zone, higher up and more aggressive," Bennett said. "Our kids played hard. I thought we matched Bingham's aggressiveness more in the second-half."

How does Bennett plan on stopping All-American forward Michelle Harrison?

"Suit up Natalie," she joked, referring to the Olympic gold medalist and five-time WNBA all-star. "I'm really excited . . . I'm really proud of our kids. After the second Bingham loss, our team really focused on working together. Our teamwork has just been the thing down the stretch."

The Miners were led by Stephanie Sampson, who scored 14 points, earned four steals and four rebounds. Teammate Megan Marks added eight points, seven rebounds, and six steals in the loss. None of the Bingham players are seniors, so the Miners will have a chance to make another run next season.

"I think Rand (Rasmussen) is such a good coach," Bennett said. "That's a good team. He gets so much out of his players, and he's so smart. They're always contenders year after year."

The Eagles do lose a few players to graduation, but Peterson and starting point guard Jenteal Jackson are both just sophomores. Jackson struggled a bit from the foul line, something that usually doesn't happen.

"I just let stuff get into my head," she said. "I wasn't focused on making the shot, and it's just a shot. This is exciting, especially to knock off Bingham. It's just exciting. But we still have unfinished business."

How does Peterson feel about playing against Harrison?

"I'm just going to use my moves," she said. "She's a good player, but it's possible to stop them."

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