This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Richfield • Delta coach Kurtis Topham wondered if his team could recuperate from the short turnover after an emotional quarterfinal win. If this were Hollywood, the script would have written the clichéd letdown against an inferior opponent.
But this is Richfield.
The Rabbits put an authoritative stop to Manti's "Hickory High" upset journey through the Class 2A girls' tournament with a 54-29 victory in the semifinals to earn a shot at the state title and redemption against Kanab on Saturday.
"I knew, obviously, to get to the final four, you've got to have a good team. You don't just get there by circumstance," Topham said of the Templars, who entered with more total losses than the other three semifinalists combined. "Our girls feel like they're out to prove something."
Delta (20-3) split its series with the Cowboys (21-2), winning the first meeting, 58-42, and dropping the second, 58-56, after nearly escaping a 16-point hole before missing the would-be tying layup at the buzzer. The Rabbits want to make amends for the loss they feel was self-inflicted.
"It's all the motivation we have. It really humbled us, and brought us closer as a team," Delta's Sidney Springer said. "We're ready to go play them again and beat them. We missed a lot of point-blank shots. It was lack of concentration."
Added Topham: "Kanab's got a good team. You can't lay an egg and expect to come out on top. [Shaylee] McDonald, in my opinion, is probably one of the best players in the state, if not 2A."
Harlee Willoughby led the charge against Manti (9-16), finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals. Springer added eight points and five rebounds, while seven other players contributed to the scorebook.
Delta flustered Manti into shooting 11 for 38 from the floor, including 1 of 8 from beyond the arc, and prevented any player from reaching a double-digit scoring total. Manti failed to register 10 points in any quarter.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Delta 54, Manti 29
• Harlee Willoughby finishes with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals.
• Delta doesn't allow Manti to reach double-figure scoring totals in any quarter.
• The Rabbits will play Kanab for the Class 2A state championship. The two split the season series.