Girls basketball playoffs: Davis drops overtime heartbreaker to Corner Canyon
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- Davis High’s Kate Richards drives against Corner Canyon in the 6A quarterfinals Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis guard T’maea Eteuati (1) shoots against Corner Canyon in the 6A quarterfinals Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s Kate Richards drives against Corner Canyon in the 6A quarterfinals Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High girls basketball players cheer a play in the 6A quarterfinals Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis girls basketball coach Anne Jones calls a play in the 6A quarterfinals Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY — No. 2 Davis High girls basketball had done well enough handling the defensive approach No. 7 Corner Canyon took Monday evening at the Huntsman Center.
But in the final two periods, it was Corner Canyon’s Maia Rhay and two 7-0 runs that spelled doom for the Darts.
Rhay scored 17 points after halftime and the Chargers controlled the final two periods for a 59-56 overtime win to end Davis High’s season in the 6A state quarterfinals, a spot the Darts felt was premature.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow right now. It’s disappointing. Extremely disappointing,” Davis head coach Anne Jones said. “We played a pretty good game against a pretty good team … (Corner Canyon) is a good team, they caught the momentum. We fought back, had some chances and they just didn’t fall.”
Rhay finished with an otherworldly line of 23 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, five steals and four blocks to lead Corner Canyon (16-9).
For Davis (21-2), guard T’Maea Eteuati led with 15 points, 13 rebounds and four steals, while skilled post player Kendra Kitchen racked up her own line of 17 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and three assists. Kate Richards made two 3-pointers and added 13 points.
Richards hit a 3-pointer to cap an 11-0 first-quarter run, which helped the Darts to a 17-9 lead after one frame, and Davis held the lead for a majority of the contest.
Rhay picked a steal and took it the distance for a layup to end a 9-2 Corner Canyon run in the second quarter but Davis led 22-20 at the break.
In the third quarter, Chargers coach Craig Morris spent much of his time yelling “no catch!” — reminding whoever was guarding Eteuati and Richards on the perimeter to deny passes from midcourt to the end line.
The tactic helped slow Davis from getting good looks but also drew the Chargers into foul trouble, and perfect free-throw trips from Eteuati and Kitchen had the Darts up 32-27 with 3:15 left in the frame.
Kate Leroy hit a 3 to spark the Chargers on a run to take a brief lead before Kitchen put through a second-chance turnaround and Kate Willard scored on a driving scoop to keep Davis ahead 40-36 at the end of three.
But Corner Canyon opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, which became a 12-2 rally when Rhay picked another steal and took a foul in transition, missing the and-one shot but putting in one free throw to push the Chargers ahead 48-42 with 2:57 left.
Still, Davis rallied. Richards scored on a drive and Eteuati, after pulling in one of her many rebounds, dropped in a high-flying floater to knot the score at 48 with 1:22 remaining.
Elina Mortensen scored in the paint to put the Chargers in the lead again. Davis almost had to respond with the senior Kitchen in the post.
“The work she’s put in away from what we do as a team, she’s just in the gym getting better at every skill,” Jones said. “Those types of players don’t come along very often.”
Kitchen banked in a turnaround shot to tie it 50-50 with 35 seconds left. Corner Canyon held the ball for the final shot, which it missed, adding a four-minute overtime to the clock.
Rhay opened overtime with a cutting layup, then knocked down a jumper after Brooke Luper hit a 3. The Chargers started overtime 3 of 4 while Davis was 0 of 3, giving Corner Canyon a 57-50 lead with 1:45 left.
Kitchen scored in the paint and Eteuati on a drive to get it to 57-54 but, with the clock against the Darts, fouls were required. Rhay knocked down two free throws to ice the game for the Chargers with 20 seconds left.
The defeat was only the second of the season for Davis. The Darts took on all comers with a target on their back, given the number of returners from last season, and still claimed the Region 1 crown. Their only other loss came Jan. 19 against Syracuse.
“It stings right now,” Jones said. “But I told them in the locker room, we had an incredible, incredible season. They can hold their head high and remember those friendships and lifelong lessons they’ve learned … I’m really proud of every single senior and every single player.”