North Sanpete girls clinch region title with full 8-0 sweep

MT. PLEASANT — The North Sanpete girls basketball team closed the regular season last week with two decisive victories, securing the Region 13 championship on the road before rolling to a dominant home win as the Hawks carried momentum into the state tournament.

North Sanpete clinched the region title Tuesday, Feb. 3, with a 52–49 win at Emery. The Hawks led by six at halftime but entered the fourth quarter tied before pulling away late, outscoring the Spartans 18–13 over the final eight minutes to seal the victory.

Mariah Schlappi led North Sanpete with 16 points and five rebounds, while Aydree Jacobson added 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. The win capped an undefeated run through Region 13 play and secured the Hawks the top seed entering the postseason.

Two nights later, North Sanpete returned home and made quick work of Juab in a 72–41 victory on Thursday, Feb. 5. The Hawks built control early, leading 35–15 at halftime, and continued to widen the gap throughout the second half by outscoring the Wasps in every quarter.

Mariah Schlappi again paced the Hawks with 19 points and four steals, while Malia Schlappi added 11 points. North Sanpete’s pressure defense forced turnovers and limited Juab to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters.

The pair of wins extended North Sanpete’s winning streak to 12 games and closed the regular season with an 18–5 overall record and a perfect 8–0 mark in Region 13. The Hawks finished league play undefeated at home and outscored region opponents by an average margin of more than 17 points per game.

North Sanpete will open the 3A girls basketball state tournament Saturday, Feb. 14, hosting Logan in a first-round matchup. First-round games will be played at the higher seed’s home site before the tournament shifts to Cedar City later in the week.