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Taylorsville • Timpview sophomore Kealani Neves served as an example of youthful energy and talent through most of her team's Class 4A girls' state quarterfinal game Thursday.

Then she was the epitome of faith justified in the last moments.

She, and everybody else in the Salt Lake Community College arena, was on edge as Timpview beat Springville 55-54 to move on to the semifinal round.

Springville guard Kami Warner hit a free throw with 5 seconds left to cut the Red Devils' deficit to one. But Neves and the Thunderbirds had to survive three more anxiety-ridden tries from the charity stripe by Springville before finally grabbing the win.

"I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to win," said Neves, who finished with 20 points. "I knew it. I just had so much faith in my team that there was no doubt."

After Warner drew Springville (16-10) to within a point, Timpview called a timeout before her second shot at the line.

Warner missed that one, which set off a wild sequence in which Springville's Kennedy Clement rebounded the ball and missed a desperate jumper, which was followed by Cheyanne Brown grabbing another offensive rebound.

Brown was fouled with six-tenths of a second remaining. But both of her free throws rimmed out.

"There's a lot of things we should've changed. We shouldn't have come out in the first quarter so slow, giving up a lead in the third quarter, there were a lot of defensive lapses as well," said Springville coach Camie Oakley, whose team was the top seed out of Region 8.

"Timpview played incredibly hard. They executed their game plan," she added. "We're just not on this end very often, so it's heartbreaking for them. They're a mess in there."

Timpview (17-5) was the No. 3 seed out of Region 7 behind Mountain View and Alta — both of whom were eliminated before the Thunderbirds took the court against Springville. Alta lost to Skyline in the day's first quarterfinal.

The Thunderbirds had two big injuries during the season to frontline players. Sophomore 6-footer Shalyn Fano broke an ankle, which was followed by sophomore guard Jasmine Espinoza's torn ACL.

But the Neves sisters, sophomore Kealani and senior Sierra, as well as sophomore Ella Pope, helped push Timpview out to a 47-42 lead early in the fourth quarter. Pope headed the victors with 22 points, while the Neves standouts pushed the pace to the Thunderbirds' liking.

"We knew coming into the game that everyone underestimates our team," Kealani Neves said. "What I know I can do is run, and I can push the ball. And that's what I focused on."

Savannah Sunsion paced Springville with 15 points and 18 rebounds.

—

Timpview 55, Springville 54

• Timpview survives three missed Springville free throws in the final 5 seconds to advance to the semifinal round.

• Ella Pope leads the Thunderbirds with 22 points, while fellow sophomore Kealani Neves adds 20 points for the winners.

• Springville post Savannah Sunsion finishes with 15 points and 18 rebounds in the final game of her high school career.