SLIDESHOW: Syracuse vs. Skyline state 5-A girls basketball semifinals
TAYLORSVILLE -- Once its sonar locked on target, the "Titan Torpedo" sank another opponent.
Two-time defending Region 1 champion Syracuse High, the highest-scoring girls basketball team in the state 5-A ranks averaging 67.22 points per game, is exactly where it wants to be -- playing for the 5-A title today against Pleasant Grove at Salt Lake Community College.
"I felt like we could get here," Titans senior small forward Jen Hazlett said. "It was our goal from Day One to win it."
With Mar-Lett, sophomore center/power forward Brittney Martin and Hazlett combining for 48 points Friday -- outscoring Skyline's team -- Syracuse shot down the Eagles 60-39 in a 5-A semifinal romp in Bruin Arena.
"I love this, but it hasn't sunk in yet -- not completely," said the 18-year-old Hazlett, who will play college basketball for Army this fall. "It's a lot better feeling this time. We didn't want to feel like we did last year."
On Feb. 27, 2009, Riverton hammered the Titans 66-33 in the state 5-A semifinals.
Shrugging off two quick personal fouls at 5:23 of the first quarter, Hazlett fueled a 10-1 second-quarter Syracuse spurt with six points.
"I had to be a little bit more careful and not get that third foul," she said. "I was frustrated that we were not attacking the basket. I stepped up along with everyone else and that got us the (18-12) lead."
The Titans had a seven-point halftime lead despite shooting just 28.0 percent (7-of-25) in the first half. Undefeated Syracuse (24-0 overall) shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) during a 40-point second half, spanking Region 2 champion Skyline (19-5) for the second time this season.
The Titans dropped the Eagles 61-43 in a Dec. 3, 2009, non-league game at Syracuse.
Martin rang up a double-double with a game-high 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting and 11 rebounds. She also swiped five steals and had two blocks in 29 minutes for the Titans, who scored 20 points off 23 Eagles' turnovers.
Hazlett had 20 points, hitting 6-of-13 shots and going 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. She finished with five boards, four assists, three steals and only one turnover in 26 minutes.
"We have to step it up," Hazlett said. "Brittney is just going to keep getting better from here; she is so amazing. I don't care who we play Saturday; we'll be ready for anyone. We're a sound team, we share the ball and we work harder than anyone."
Martin has been a double-figure scorer in every Syracuse game this season. She is also the No. 2 scorer in the 5-A ranks at 18.17 ppg.
"This feels a lot better than last year," Martin, 16, said. "We had to pick up the intensity on defense and work harder together after losing to Riverton. Jen and I picked it up and the rest of the team did, too. We came back with a different confidence level this season."
The Titans shot 41.2 percent (21-of-51) and were outrebounded 37-29, but 10 turnovers led to only seven Skyline points.
Comments