Taylorsville • A matchup of two of the best girls’ basketball players in the state was on tap when Viewmont played Provo in the first round of the Class 5A tournament Monday.
But it was a Moose who proved to be the difference.
Senior Melissa Sorenson, a 6-foot-1 post for the Vikings with a wildlife moniker, scored 19 points as Viewmont beat the Bulldogs 51-41 at Salt Lake Community College.
“We knew she was going to be big, we told her that, too. We told her that she was the key,” Vikings coach Clint Straatman said. “We think she could have even scored more and done more. She had a great game.
“In the first half, I think we were a little bit tentative. Once we started opening it up, going where we wanted to go, then we got whatever we wanted with Moose.”
Provo (12-9) pulled out to a 26-20 lead in the second quarter behind the play of junior Lavender Briggs, who had 20 points at intermission. Viewmont (17-3) countered Briggs with senior Mercedes Staples, who is headed to play at Clemson.
Briggs, who drew the primary defensive assignment on Staples, limited her to nine points through the first two quarters.
“She’s a very good player, props to her,” Staples said. “She was good [defensively]. I just had to realize I could turn the corner on her. I felt she had stopped me, but then we had that loose ball and I jumped on it. I felt like I just kept myself composed and got what she gave me.”
Melissa Sorenson of @Vick_the_Viking on the win over Provo in the state tourney. pic.twitter.com/XWVTZdF9Rf
— Trib Preps (@TribPrepsEd) February 20, 2018
Staples finished with 18 points, including seven in the last couple of minutes as the Vikings protected a five-point lead that came on a putback shot by Sorenson with 3:02 remaining.
Briggs, meanwhile, finished with 28 points but went scoreless in the third quarter.
“I think she was probably a little [tired]. It’s a lot to carry, guarding the best player on the other team and then have to go be the best offensive player on the other end,” Provo coach Amanda Barker said. “That’s a lot of pressure, but I believe she’s the kind of player that can handle that kind of player.”
Sorenson said that earlier upsets on the same court — Roy’s loss to Springville and Skyridge’s to Box Elder — didn’t weigh much on the Vikings.
“We came out just ready to play. It’s just another basketball game,” Sorenson said. “We know how to play as a team and we just did that.”
VIEWMONT 51, PROVO 41 <br>• Vikings senior Melissa Sorenson scores 19 points while Mercedes Staples adds 18 for the victors. <br>• Viewmont breaks a 28-28 tie with eight consecutive points to start the third quarter. The closest Provo gets after that was a three-point deficit. <br>• Lavender Briggs tallies 28 points, with 20 of those coming in the first half, to lead the Bulldogs.