Boys Basketball (1/19): Desert Hills at Snow Canyon

Tyler Ott scored nine points in the game's final two-and-a-half minutes, including a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 1:45 to play, as Desert Hills came back to defeat Snow Canyon 65-60 on Wednesday night.

Tanner Atkin (19 points) and Brandon Simister (16) kept the Thunder in the game until their team's star finally warmed up. Ott managed just seven points before finally catching fire in the game's closing moments.

"We told Tyler to not settle, to just get in attack mode," Desert Hills head coach Steve Melessa said. "We didn't want him to start pressing. But this is a typical game for Region 9. They all seem to be this way."

With the score tied at 54-54 and 2:40 left on the clock, Ott worked through traffic for a leap-and-leaner to give the Thunder its first lead since midway through the third quarter.

Preston Root matched that bucket with a putback basket to tie the game at 56-56 with two minutes left. That's when Ott worked free and elevated for a 3-point shot over a hard-charging Snow Canyon defender.

The high-arcing shot, with 1:40 showing on the game clock, barely rippled the net as it swished through. The 3-pointer gave Desert Hills a lead it would never relinquish.

"We struggled taking care of the basketball tonight," Melessa said. "That is, until the final couple of minutes. I'm really proud of the way my team finished the game."

Indeed, it looked like Snow Canyon would stake its claim on first place in the region early in the final quarter. Behind the hot shooting of Xavier Fely, the Warriors forged ahead for 51-46 lead just two minutes into the final stanza.

Ben Gottfredson (11 points) also did yeoman's work off the bench, helping to work the large Snow Canyon student section into a frenzy.

But Simister, the Thunder point guard, stayed calm, hitting a driving layup and converting a pair of free throws to keep Desert Hills close. Then Ott and Simister combined to go 10-for-10 from the line in the final 3:20 of the game to seal the win.

The Thunder enjoyed a solid rebounding performance after losing by a single point at home to Hurricane last Friday. Desert Hills, now 11-3 overall and alone in first in Region 9 at 5-1, also got nine points from center Jon Bodnar.

The Warriors, 10-4 and 3-2, led by two at halftime and held a 47-44 lead going into the fourth before being outscored 21-13 in the final eight minutes.

Andy Griffin is a southern Utah broadcaster and sports writer and has been involved in the high school scene in Utah's Dixie for 18 years.