By Kale Nelson, SUU Athletics
CEDAR CITY, Utah (February 19, 2025) – Hosted by Southern Utah University through its Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games department, the 3A State Boys’-and-Girls’ Basketball tournament tipped off with an exciting quarterfinal round on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the America First Event Center. Four teams secured the right to move on to the 3A State Semifinals tomorrow, Feb. 20, in both the boys and girls brackets.
In all four games of the girls bracket, the lower seed won, meaning the top four 3A girls basketball teams from the regular season have been eliminated.
3A Boys
No. 12 Grantsville Cowboys overthrow No. 4 Emery Spartans in 79-75 overtime thriller
Even though Emery’s Brek Griffin and Porter Sitterud combined for 50 points, Grantsville’s balanced attack allowed for an impressive upset. By the end of overtime, five Cowboys had surpassed 10 points, led by Dresden Jensen with 23.
No. 1 Morgan Trojans handle No. 8 Canyon View Falcons 67-43
Morgan’s defense proved insurmountable for the Falcons in their home city, holding them to 43 points, of which Jeter Saunders scored 16. For the Trojans, Bracken Sanders and Mason Williams paved the path to the semifinal round with 20 and 17 points, respectively.
No. 2 Richfield Wildcats down No. 7 Ogden Tigers in 54-43 showdown
Ogden couldn’t outlast a well-rounded Richfield team that eventually pushed to a victory thanks to 23 points from Jorgen Southwick. The Tigers’ Jackson Maw scored a team-high 14 points and brought down seven boards in the loss.
No. 3 American Heritage Patriots defeat No. 6 Delta Rabbits in 57-37 Rout
A 40-9 first half in favor of American Heritage set up an unexciting second half, but Delta managed a solid 28-point spree in their failed comeback attempt. Kade Andersen buoyed the Patriots to their win with a 22-point game, while his teammate Josue Kajinga racked up six blocks and six rebounds on the defensive side.
3A Girls
No. 6 Morgan Trojans fend off No. 3 Emery Spartans in 62-55 upset
Morgan held off a strong Emery attack in a close opening game in the girls bracket. The Spartans’ Aleeyah Cowley racked up 16 points, but the Trojans’ Zoe Rockenfield and Makayla Williams couldn’t be stopped, combining for 40 points on their way to a huge victory.
No. 7 Grantsville Cowboys shut down No. 2 North Sanpete Hawks 42-38
North Sanpete nearly pulled off the comeback against Grantsville, but the Cowboys put down a cluster of free throws to close out the upset. Kamry Allen led Grantsville with 13 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
No. 8 Union Cougars overthrow No. 1 Delta Rabbits 53-50
The Cougars knocked off the one-seed Rabbits in a stunning upset, utilizing a balanced attack and domination of the paint to jump to a huge early lead. Even with 15 points from Madison Eliason, Delta was too far behind Union to pull out a win.
No. 5 Layton Eagles barrel back past No. 4 Canyon View Falcons in 60-42 contest
Canyon View got off to a strong start with a 20-point first quarter, but Layton caught fire down the stretch and pulled off a huge comeback win. The Eagles’ Ava Smith totalled 17 points and 12 rebounds as she guided her team to a huge triumph.
Next Up
Girls Semifinals
No. 5 Layton vs. No. 8 Union: Feb 20, 4:10 p.m.
No. 6 Morgan vs. No. 7 Grantsville: Feb 20, 5:50 p.m.
Boys Semifinals
No. 1 Morgan vs. No. 12 Grantsville: Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Richfield vs. No. 3 American Heritage: Feb. 20, 9:10 p.m.
Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Basketball
The Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games will host their annual boys’ and girls’ high school basketball tournament from May 28-30, 2026. Registration for the tournament is open until May 6, 2026, at https://utahsummergames.org/sports/2023/12/14/basketball-high-school.aspx.