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West Jordan • The Copper Hills Grizzlies introduced some new offense plays and defensive schemes in their season opener.

And after getting to a double-digit lead two minutes into the game, the Grizz had plenty of time to focus on the new plays.

Copper Hills kept their lead over Hunter and blew out the Wolverines 97-27 in girls' basketball Tuesday night.

Last season, the Grizzlies didn't lose a game until their fell to eventual champ — by two points — in the state semifinals.

So, naturally, Copper Hills was a prohibitive favorite in hosting a Hunter team with a first-year coach and little in the way of returning experience.

"We were trying to do some different things that we had been working on," Copper Hills coach Ben Morley said. "This is the time to do it because really we're just concerning ourselves with the beginning of region play.

"You never quite know what your team is going to do in the first game," Morley added. "You spend two weeks battling against each other in practice and it's always a mystery."

The mystery, as far as Hunter (0-1) was concerned, was solved immediately.

The Wolverines turned the ball over in their first four possessions, with Copper Hills (1-0) scoring each time. When Amberly Lazenby swished a baseline trey, the Grizzlies went up 11-0.

By the end of the first quarter, when reserves Breanna Gillen and Eleyana Tafisi hit consecutive three-pointers, Copper Hills went up 26-3.

"People are going to look at this score and it's a little bit misleading," Morley said. "This is my eighth year and we've never shot the ball as well as we did in this game. We're a good team, but we're not that good yet."

Gillen scored 19 points to lead all players while Lenisi Fineanganofo came off the bench to tally 13. Kate Sisler, one of three players with starting experience from last year's squad, registered ten points.

Guard Kiarra Gasu also had seven points, six assists and three steals for the Grizz.

April Semeatu scored 14 points for Hunter while teammate Angel Lui got nine, but all the remaining Wolverines only combined for four points total.

"We have one player who has played some varsity in the past," said Hunter coach Cameron Gardner after his first game leading the Wolverines.

"We're trying to figure out who is going to be where and we've got to get some girls eligible to play," Gardner said. "Take care of the academic side of things — I think we can get there.

"Obviously, give credit to Copper Hills. They shot the lights out," he added. —

Storylines

• Copper Hills opened a 26-3 lead at the end of the first period as Hunter turned the ball over 11 times in the opening stanza.

• The Grizzlies leading scorers, Breanna Gillen and Lenisi Fineanganofo, came off the bench to tally 19 and 13 points respectively.

• Hunter was paced by April Semeatu's 14 points and nine more from Angel Lui.