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Ogden • It would have been easy to cash in and cut his losses. Bingham's Jared Holman was left by his lonesome underneath the basket, and Layton's Jarriesse Blackmon was all the way back at midcourt.

But during the Class 5A quarterfinals, in a closely contested game, every basket is important. Blackmon understood the gravity of the situation. Racing to the defense, as Holman waited for the long-distance pass to arrive, Blackmon caught up and swatted the shoo-in layup against the glass.

"Who knew, at the time, if that basket could [have] ended up having them with a one-point lead at the end of the game," Blackmon said. "I'm not going to take that risk by giving up on a play."

On the ensuing offensive possession, the Lancers worked the ball around, eventually finding their superstar on the lower block. Blackmon went to work, muscling up a three-point play for a pivotal five-point swing. The newfound breathing room allowed Layton to pull away at the free-throw line in its 62-53 victory for its first semifinals berth since 1998.

"I've seen that kid for four years; I see it every day," Layton coach Kelby Miller said of Blackmon, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. "He has those opportunities all the time, and he comes up with those blocks. … Any time a big play like that happens, you kind of feed off of that, and it's kind of demoralizing for that other team."

Layton (16-7), which beat Bingham in an early preseason tournament, suckered the Miners into playing up-tempo, which greatly benefited its own cause. Bingham (20-4) failed to establish an offensive identity, instead settling for one-shot possessions, typically from the perimeter. It finished 5 for 21 from 3-point range.

"When we get out and run, I don't know too many teams that can stay with us," Miller said. "… Obviously taking away Yoeli [Childs] is a big point of emphasis. [Bingham's guards] are going to have those opportunities to take shots. We were fortunate enough that they weren't knocking them down."

Childs, whom many consider one of the top interior players in the state, led Bingham with 13 points despite suffering an ankle injury Monday. Holman added 12 points, while Josh Newbold scored 11.

After the Miners momentarily captured a one-point advantage, Layton embarked on a 9-0 run capped by Blackmon's 3-pointer on a second-chance opportunity. The Lancers outrebounded Bingham 31-19, including grabbing 10 offensive boards.

"Coach tells us all the time, 'If you can control the glass, you can ultimately control the outcome of the game,' " Blackmon said. "We knew they had some very big guys; they definitely outsize us, but our team did a very good job of scrapping."

Layton will play Viewmont, which defeated four-time defending champion Lone Peak, in the semifinals Friday at 4:10 p.m.

Twitter: @trevorphibbs —

Layton 62, Bingham 53

R Brothers Jarriesse and Julian Blackmon combine for 38 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

• Layton connects on 13 of 14 free-throw tries, including a perfect 11 for 11 in the second half.

• Bingham shoots 23.8 percent (5-21) from beyond the arc.