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Richfield • Enterprise had staved off Layton Christian all afternoon, yet it seemed the Eagles were always on the brink of unleashing their prowess at any moment. The Region 14 private school had won 14 straight outings against Class 2A competition, and the Wolves, well, they weren't even supposed to put up a fight.
Clinging to a three-point buffer late in the fourth quarter, Enterprise's Koden Hunt provided extra breathing room with three free throws after he was hacked from 3-point range. On the ensuing possession, Isaac Wallin cemented the 55-46 upset of the pre-eminent favorites with an uncontested 3-pointer.
"When you get to the state tournament, numbers don't matter," said Enterprise coach Larry Shurtliff at the Sevier Valley Center on Thursday. "We might be the dark horse in this tournament, but if it is — I'll ride the dark horse as far as it'll go."
The Wolves (15-9) advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, where they'll meet Manti at 9:10 p.m. on Friday. The Templars won the early-December meeting handily, 83-64.
Travis Dougherty scored a game-high 14 points for the Wolves, while Isaac Wallin added 12 points, including connecting on three of Enterprise's five triples.
Enterprise's Ricky Ramos and Wallin hit 3-pointers on consecutive series, but Gerardo Munoz and Igor Torres responded with finishes at the rim to keep Layton Christian (16-7) within one possession midway through the fourth.
But unfamiliar with playing from behind, the Eagles panicked with forced perimeter shots, and finished 0 for 17 from beyond the arc.
"Isaac Wallin and Ricky Ramos — those were big," Shurtliff said. "Right when we could have shrunk a little bit, and we were able to have those fall, which let us win it from the line."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Enterprise 55, Layton Christian 46
• Enterprise advances to its second consecutive Class 2A semifinals.
• Travis Dougherty scores a game-high 14 points with five rebounds for the Wolves, while posting a perfect percentage at the free-throw line.
• Layton Christian misses all 17 of its attempts from beyond the arc.