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Westlake senior Jill Lundgren (15) blocks a shot during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake junior Siona Sauvao dribbles up the court during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake senior Kaylee Headrick drives to the basket during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake senior Kaylee Headrick shoots a 3-pointer during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake sophomore Chloe Jensen looks to pass the ball during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake players prepare to take the court before the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake head coach Mike O'Connor watches his team during the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake players celebrate after winning the 6A quarterfinal game against Davis at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lone Peak sophomore Sarah Bartholomew goes up for a shot during the 6A quarterfinal game against Skyridge at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge senior Teagan Gray throws a pass during the 6A quarterfinal game against Lone Peak at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lone Peak junior Kailey Woolston goes up for a shot during the 6A quarterfinal game against Skyridge at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge sophomore Cambree Blackham drives to the basket during the 6A quarterfinal game against Lone Peak at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lone Peak junior Makeili Ika drives to the basket during the 6A quarterfinal game against Skyridge at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge junior Donya Perkins shoots a shot during the 6A quarterfinal game against Lone Peak at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner directs her team during the 6A quarterfinal game against Skyridge at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge head coach Shaylee Nielsen applauds a good play during the 6A quarterfinal game against Lone Peak at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

❮ ❯

Westlake coach Mike O’Connor prepped his team all week to play man-to-man defense against Davis in the Class 6A girls quarterfinals.

Instead, early in the first quarter, he had to turn to a zone to slow down the Darts.

The best laid plans, right?

The switch worked as No. 3 seed Westlake (21-4) survived a slow start and powered past Davis 45-32 on Tuesday at the Huntsman Center to reach its first semifinal since 2018.

“Making the semifinals is a hump to get over and it’s a process,” O’Connor said. “You try to be in the hunt every year. What we’ve been trying to do is keep building every year and you know, that team (in 2018) was kind of a Cinderella story, This one, the seniors especially, I think they expected to play well.”

Davis came out on Tuesday hitting big shots against the Thunder and took a quick 11-3 lead after a layup by Kylee Mabry.

Time to rethink some strategy.

“I really thought we had to play man,” O’Connor said. “After three or four possessions I knew better and so we went to a zone. We run kind of an amoeba zone defense and the kids did a terrific job of balancing each other, covering and replacing. It was just their effort.”

Westlake settled down and retook the lead late in the second quarter, scoring the final seven points on baskets from Siona Sauvao, Kaylee Headrick and sophomore Chloe Jensen for a 19-15 halftime edge.

After Davis closed to 19-17 to open the third quarter, the Thunder went on a 9-2 spurt with Jill Lungren tossing in a 3-pointer for a 28-20 lead with 3:35 to play. The Darts managed to cut the deficit to six points a couple of times but Westlake stayed aggressive and got six points from Tessa Chaney after breaking the press to maintain control.

O’Connor said he was pleased with how his team responded from the early deficit.

“Sometimes you dig yourself a hole in this setting then you fight and fight to get back and you can never completely get over,” He said. “It’s like another set of nerves. You play last week at home and then you have the first round nerve jitters, now you have the arena jitters. But I have a group of seniors that did a terrific job sticking together and playing together.”

Lungren led the Thunder with 15 points on 3 of 6 from the 3-point line and Jensen finished with 11. Headrick contributed nine points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Mabry led Davis (19-4) with 11 points but the Darts shot just 32% (12 of 37) from the field after their hot start.

“Defensively we were really ready,” Lungren said. “We talked about going man all week and then we hit our zone and we all just worked together very, very well. Our communication was great. It was super fun playing with everybody in there and talking, knowing where everyone was and not being scared of going out and guarding anyone.”

Westlake’s will play No. 2 Fremont in one of Thursday’s semifinals. The Thunder and Silverwolves met in the 2018 semifinals as well, a game Fremont won in overtime.

Lone Peak holds off Skyridge

Basketball teams can’t always count on having a basketball bounce their way.

With about two minutes left in Tuesday night’s 6A quarterfinal, Lone Peak got the bounce to go its way — and Skyridge didn’t.

With the Knights clinging to a 3-point lead, Lone Peak junior Makeili Ika drove hard to the basket and flipped the ball off the backboard. It hit the rim, bounced twice, and then toppled in to extend the Knight lead.

On the ensuing Falcon possession, Skyridge junior Donya Perkins did nearly the same thing. Her layup that would’ve made it a one-score game also bounced twice on the rim … but that one fell out.

That sequence gave Lone Peak the cushion it needed to force the Falcons to foul and the Knights made their free throws down the stretch to secure the 50-39 victory.

Lone Peak was led by 16 points from junior Kailey Woolston, while Ika added 14 points.

Skyridge was paced by 12 points from sophomore Cambree Blackham and 11 from freshman Bella Sika.

The Knights advance to the semifinals to face the winner of the Riverton-Herriman game that was played late Tuesday night. That game is slated to be played at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday at 3 p.m.