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West Valley City • Dixie and Desert Hills never really decided matters between themselves in Region 9 play, as each squad took a road win against the other.

So the teams had to go to state to take it to the next level.

Through regulation of the game Friday night, and an overtime period, it was still deadlocked between the Flyers and Thunder.

Even second and third OT sessions weren't good enough.

It was only settled for 2015 between the Southern Utah rivals when Dixie guard Tyler Bennett picked off a steal with 13 seconds left in the fourth overtime period, preventing a game-tying three attempt from Desert Hills, and then hit a pair of free throws.

Flyers senior Ethan Langford hit a pair of insurance free throws with four seconds left for a 79-72 four-overtime victory in the Class 3A semifinals.

"We're tired, but good," said Dixie senior Ryan Wilgar after the marathon at the Maverik Center.

"We just needed to stick with it. We were exhausted and we struggled at the free-throw line all night, but we came together," said Wilgar, who finished with 20 points. "Countless hours of practice and busting our butts, so we're in shape and luckily we had enough energy to sneak it out."

Dixie (20-5), which was led by Tyler Bennett's 22 points, and 18 more from Jake Hawes, had chances to win at the end of each of the first three overtimes, able to hold for the last shot — but it went awry in each case.

Desert Hills (18-7), paced by 25 points from Marcus McKone and 15 from Tanner Leishman, had its best shot at victory at the end of regulation. But a pair of shots, including a follow attempt by Quincy Matthews, didn't find the mark.

Dixie coach Ryan Cuff said that a critical point came when Matthews fouled out with 1:18 left in the second overtime. Leishman would eventually foul out as well at the beginning of the fourth OT.

"Quincy Matthews is a heck of a player. We all know that," Cuff said. "For him to go out, it's unfortunate. We wanted him there, to be honest."

Pine View 56, Richfield 42 • Kody Wilstead had some near-misses when it came to football state championships. And Pine View's standout quarterback is being recruited for football at BYU.

Before all that is a mission that probably should have all ready started, as Wilstead has enough credits for early graduation from high school.

But there's a reason Wilstead is still around St. George and it's the Pine View basketball team.

On Friday, the Panthers rolled by Richfield in a Class 3A semifinal at the Maverik Center, and Wilstead, who led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds, will get one last shot at hoisting a state championship trophy.

In 2013, Wilstead quarterbacked the Panthers to the 3AA title game and, last fall, led Pine View to the football state semis.

"He'll leave on his mission on April ninth. It's the same mission — he just moved it back," Pine View coach Darrell Larson said. "He wanted to come back for a reason. Last year, after the [basketball] loss to Payson in the first round, he stood up in the locker room and said, 'We've got unfinished business.'"

Wilstead, despite suffering a third-quarter groin injury that sidelined him for a few minutes, at times seemed to control play for the Panthers.

He twice registered old-fashioned 3-pointers in a 10-2 stretch to start the second half. In fact, from the time Pine View (22-2) led 33-21 in the third to when the Panthers took a 52-37 lead late in the fourth, Wilstead either scored or assisted on every bucket for his team.

Richfield (14-8) was paced by Brandon Willardson's 24 points. Like Willardson, Wilstead was his team's only double-figure scorer.

"I felt like I made up for not playing well yesterday, that's for sure," Wilstead said.

"When I decided to stay, it was just to play basketball," he added. "After the first week of practice, I knew we could make the state championship game. We have that good of a team." —

Dixie 79, Desert Hills 72 (4OT)

R Dixie prevails over Desert Hills in four overtimes in the third meeting this season between the two Region 9 foes. Each had won on the other's home court in regular-season play.

• The victorious Flyers are led by Tyler Bennett's 22 points. Bennett made a critical steal in the fourth OT to help seal the win.

• Desert Hills is led by Marcus McKone's 25 points. But Tanner Leishman and Quincy Matthews, who have 15 and 14 respectively, each foul out in the extra sessions.