East outslugs Viewmont to reach state semifinals

Taylorsville • It was worthy of a state championship game when East and Viewmont traded blows for nearly three full quarters Wednesday.

Neither team led by more than three points until top-ranked East scored the last nine points of the third. The Leopards rode that momentum to a 66-59 victory and into the state semifinal round at the Class 5A girls’ basketball state tournament.

“I knew that this could be my last game, so I just went and balled out,” East senior Liana Kaitu’u said. “I just started at the beginning instead of waiting.”

While Kaitu’u eventually fouled out in the fourth quarter, finished with 15 points, her inside play helped offset sharp outside shooting by Viewmont (17-4).

The Vikings drained four of their first five 3-point attempts, and the shooting of senior MeKenna Morris, who hit four treys in the first half, helped her team keep pace with East (21-2).

Viewmont led 43-42 when Kaitu’u put back her own miss with 2:04 left in the third quarter.

Then East junior Deserae Falatea popped a 3-pointer a minute later for a 47-43 advantage — the largest lead of the game for either side. Before the third quarter ended, Blanche Pritchard scored on a fastbreak layup and Falatea got behind the Vikings defense for a wide-open shot as the gap opened to eight points.

“They were physical, and the refs let them play physical — and we didn’t answer,” Viewmont coach Clint Straatman said. “The play maybe intimidated us a little bit and got us playing a little tentative through a stretch there.”

“We just needed to play with more energy,” East coach Junior Solovi said about his team’s approach after having more difficulty than expected with Brighton in a tourney-opening 49-37 win Monday. “In the last two games, we kind of went away from what we do. We just felt we had to play at our pace.”

East had 13 points apiece from junior Lealani Falatea and senior post Lani Taliauli.

Viewmont’s Mercedes Staples, who has committed to play at Clemson, largely was collared defensively by the Leopards and ended with 11 points. Morris led the Vikings with 16 points, while freshman center Melissa Sorenson added 11.

“We thought we were the best team in the state, and we played that way,” Straatman said. “It could have been the state championship.”