Lady Hawks battle through 3A state tournament, finish sixth-place

CEDAR CITY — North Sanpete’s season ended Saturday at the 3A Girls Basketball State Championships after the Lady Hawks split their final three games at the America First Event Center.

North Sanpete, the No. 2 seed, opened tournament play with an 85-24 first-round win over Logan on Feb. 14 but fell 42-38 to Grantsville in the quarterfinals on Feb. 19.

North Sanpete responded Friday morning in the consolation bracket, defeating Emery 46-39 to advance to the fifth-place game. The Hawks then closed their season with a 51-47 loss to Delta on Saturday, finishing sixth overall.

Grantsville 42, North Sanpete 38

In Thursday’s quarterfinal, Grantsville held off a late push to eliminate the Hawks 42-38.

North Sanpete trailed 15-7 after one quarter but matched the Cowboys 12-7 in the second to cut into the deficit. The Hawks managed just five points in the third quarter as Grantsville maintained control. North Sanpete outscored the Cowboys 14-13 in the fourth, but the rally fell short.

North Sanpete 46, Emery 39

The Hawks answered Friday with a 46-39 win over Emery in the consolation semifinals.

Emery led 11-7 after the first quarter, but North Sanpete responded with a 12-5 second period to take a 19-16 halftime advantage. The Hawks created separation in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 18-14, then matched Emery 9-9 in the fourth to secure the win.

Malia Schlappi led North Sanpete with 16 points, including a 3-pointer. Aydree Jacobson added eight points, and Savannah Christensen finished with eight. Elise Bailey contributed five points and six rebounds, while Kira Murphy pulled down six rebounds.

The win advanced the Hawks to Saturday’s fifth-place game.

Delta 51, North Sanpete 47

North Sanpete jumped out to a strong start in the fifth-place contest, leading 15-3 after the first quarter.

Delta answered with an 18-8 second-quarter surge to trim the deficit to 23-21 at halftime. The teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with North Sanpete holding a 36-35 edge entering the fourth.

Delta outscored the Hawks 16-11 in the final period to secure the 51-47 victory.

Mariah Schlappi paced North Sanpete with 18 points and six rebounds. Malia Schlappi added nine points and eight rebounds. Elise Bailey scored nine points, and Savannah Christensen added six.

With the loss, North Sanpete finished the season at 20-7 and placed sixth in the 3A state tournament.