KAYSVILLE -- Blake Gardner was undecided which he was happier with:
* A career-high 12 points on perfect shooting.
* Holding the Beetdiggers' Kevin Goldsmith, the No. 3 scorer in the state 5-A ranks averaging 18.27 points per game, to just nine on 4-of-10 shooting -- Goldsmith's second-lowest output this season.
Regardless, Gardner's heroics on Tuesday propelled five-time defending Region 1 champion Davis High past Jordan 59-52 and into today's 5-A quarterfinals versus defending state champion West Jordan in Weber State's Dee Events Center.
"We were just executing on offense," said Gardner, a senior shooting guard. "They were trying to shut down other players and left me open. Our defensive plan was to get Goldsmith and (Joe) Mero out of their rhythm. Our team defense wasn't just me."
The-18-year-old Gardner went 3-of-3 from the floor -- splashing in a career-best 2-of-2 from downtown -- and hit 4-of-4 free throws. He also grabbed two rebounds and had an assist in 20 minutes.
"This is the best overall game I've played all season, and I had my team out there to help me," Gardner said.
Davis (20-2 overall) extended its season-high winning streak to 12 games. The Darts advanced to the state 5-A quarterfinals for the third consecutive year and tangle with the Jaguars (15-7), who Davis defeated 55-54 in overtime on Dec. 8, 2009 at Kaysville, today at 2:15 p.m. in the Dee Center.
"We'll go through our normal routine and act like everything is the same," Gardner said. "We need to get our rest tonight, and we're doing a walk-through tonight. We'll go over what they do and everything."
The Darts shot 41.0 percent (16-of-39) -- 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range -- in dropping Jordan for the second time this season. Davis outrebounded the Beetdiggers 35-27, and converted 12-of-18 fourth-quarter free throws.
Jordan (14-9) was 0-of-3 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, attempting 18 fewer free throws than the Darts, who knocked down 22-of-30 foul shots.
"I was real excited to play," Gardner said. "It was the playoffs; everybody was excited to play. We like when the community comes out and the students support us. Both teams have improved over the season, so it didn't matter that we played Jordan before."
Landon Horne had a team-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting with nine rebounds for Davis, which outscored the Beetdiggers 10-1 on second-chance points.
"We have a good roll going and coach (Jay) Welk is really good in getting us prepared for state tournament games," Gardner said.
Jordan shot just 35.2 percent (19-of-54), including 29.6 percent (8-of-27) on 3-point attempts. Mero scored a game-high 16 points, hitting 5-of-15 shots, all being 3s.
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