DIVISION IV GIRLS: Panthers outlast Hornets to advance to final

Bailee Hosier scored 20 points, including 12 in the second half, as the Pahranagat Valley girls basketball team outlasted Beatty 39-31 in the Division IV Southern League playoffs Friday at Chaparral.

The Panthers (11-14) face Tonopah (10-5) in the league final at 11 a.m. Saturday at Sunrise Mountain.
Hosier nailed two 3-pointers in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to shift the momentum in the Panthers’ favor after Beatty led for much of the game.

Pahranagat Valley coach Amy Huntsman was pleased with Hosier’s effort in the fourth quarter, which kick-started a Panthers’ offense that managed only six points in the third quarter.

“Bailee made key baskets for us,” Huntsman said. “Jamie Hansen hit a shot outside that was key for us, and it opened up our offense. Bailee got her confidence back, and we started scoring.”

Traci Strong paced the Panthers’ offense in the first half, scoring 11 of her 13 points.

It was Strong’s 3-point shooting in the first half that kept Pahranagat Valley afloat while the defense faltered.

“We had the ability, (but) I felt like we were playing it safe, not to lose,” Huntsman said. “I felt like we weren’t meeting passes and we weren’t attacking the basket. Defensively they outrebounded us — (Melynda Gross) almost outrebounded our entire team in the first half.”

Gross and Lucero Hernandez paced Beatty with eight points apiece.

Tonopah 42, Indian Springs 32 — At Chaparral, Deanna VanPoucke and Alli Friel each scored 10 points as the Muckers downed the Thunderbirds (8-12).

Tonopah converted only 10 of its 26 free throws, compared to 5-for-24 foul shooting for Indian Springs.

“Generally we’re pretty good, we’re about 55 to 60 percent free-throw shooters,” Tonopah coach Eddie Cobb said. “The shots weren’t falling, and free throws weren’t hitting. It wasn’t our best game, but we’ll take the win.”

Despite the poor free-throw shooting performance, Cobb remains confident in his team’s ability to distribute the scoring load equally.

“I’ve got a good arsenal,” Cobb said. “Most teams only have no more than three players that can score. ... I have seven, eight players that can score at any time.”

Heather Thormahlen led Indian Springs with 12 points.