Lehi girls go inside and out to defeat Carbon

LEHI — In defeating the Carbon Dinos Thursday night in a title-clinching Region 8 girls basketball game, the Lehi Pioneers showed why they're so difficult to defend.

The Pioneers couldn't decide whether to beat the Dinos inside or outside, so they did both in posting an impressive 73-53 win. Leading the charge was freshman sensation Michelle Harrison, who scored about half of her 28 points inside and half with her high-arching outside shot — including a three-pointer late in the third quarter that was part of a key 11-0 Lehi run. The Pioneers hit three other three-point shots but also had several easy layups set up by the penetration of senior guard Megan Heriford.

"We came prepared, and once we got going we executed very well," Lehi coach Mike O'Connor said.

With the victory, the state's No. 2-ranked 3A team improves to 6-0 in league play and 16-1 overall. Lehi's only loss came in a preseason game to a team from California.

Carbon drops to 4-3 in league play, tied for second in the region with Emery, and 14-5 overall. Dinos coach Bruce Bean said the reason his team lost is simple.

"They had more athletes on the floor than we did," Bean said.

Even with the impressive record, Bean said with so many key players injured, his Dinos are only a mediocre team, and it will be tough to hang onto the region's second spot.

"Between bad ankles and injured knees, I'm scraping," Bean said.

In the first quarter the Pioneers took an early seven-point lead with several easy hoops off transition. When Heriford hit a long three-pointer with just over 5 minutes left in the first half, the Pioneers had opened up a lead of 25-9.

"I thought we might blow it open even earlier," O'Connor said.

But then Lehi began to pile up the fouls: 11 in the first half, compared to Carbon's five. The Dinos used that advantage to end the second quarter on a 13-2 run, led by the inside play of senior forward Danielle Julian. With Carbon's late charge, Lehi took a 30-22 lead into the locker room.

Early in the third quarter, however, Lehi's offensive power re-emerged and the Pioneers scored 11 straight points and finished the quarter on a 15-2 run that included three-pointers from Harrison, Susie Jex and Tara Asay.