WASHINGTON TERRACE — One week after the Northridge girls basketball team’s near-miss in an overtime loss at first-place Bountiful, the Knights feel a little emboldened, confident — like they can hang with the best teams in the state.

But four region games stood between Northridge and the eventual Bountiful showdown when the Knights pulled up to Bonneville High on Thursday night to start the second round of Region 5 play.

Thursday’s game, the first of those four, was against last-place Bonneville. About 75% of the game was played like anything but a second-versus-sixth game, but a scrappy and patient effort helped the Knights get past the Lakers 48-34.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Knights (11-6, 5-1 Region 5) had seen their 10-point lead dwindle to four after successive 3-pointers by the Lakers (4-12, 0-6).

Leading 36-32, Madison Hosino drained a 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup on consecutive possessions. Shortly thereafter, the lead grew to double digits and stayed there.

Hosino finished with 22 points, her sixth 20-point effort of the season, and made four 3-pointers. Kaylee Hess scored nine points, Karlee Mayfield had eight and Northridge made six 3-pointers as a team.

The Lakers made seven 3s as a team, which was one way they dug out of an early 10-0 hole. Hailee Cherry scored 12 of her team-high 14 points in the first half, with three 3s that helped Bonneville stay within 26-18 at the break.

Other than Cherry, the Knights’ defense shut down the Lakers, pressuring ball handlers, tipping passes and controlling rebounds.

“We defended really well. I felt like we were all accountable for our man, we just played well as a team and we were communicating,” Hosino said.

Still, the Lakers showed no signs of going away, making consecutive 3s to cut a third-quarter deficit from 10 down to four points. They did the same thing early in the fourth, only Northridge pulled away.

“If I can sum this game up with one word, I’d say growth,” Northridge coach Chris Smith said. “The game was real close, four points, in the fourth quarter and then we finished and we won by, what 14 points. That’s growth, right?”

The win keeps Northridge within one game of first-place Bountiful in the Region 5 standings with four games left in region play as basketball season rounds the final corner.

The Bountiful loss, Hosino and Smith said, reinforced the Knights’ belief that they can hang with any team.

Even if Northridge is ultimately short in the region-title race, it’s in a good playoff spot, checking in at No. 5 in the 5A RPI rankings as of Thursday morning. If the playoffs started today, would guarantee a first-round bye in the 5A state playoffs and an automatic berth to the second round at Weber State later this month.

On the Lakers’ end, they were ranked No. 25 in the RPI before Thursday’s game and would be outside the 24-team playoff field if the postseason began today.

They’re 0-6 in region play — four losses by between 6-14 points — and it appears they need anywhere from 1-3 wins over the final four games, plus teams above them to lose (specifically Cedar Valley), in order to qualify for the playoffs.

Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.

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