Unbeaten Sugar-Salem keeps on rolling with win over Timberlake to advance to 4A finals

MIDDLETON – Welcome back to the championship game Sugar-Salem.

After missing the state tournament a year ago, the Diggers are not just back in the spotlight, they are steamrolling everyone in their way.

Sugar-Salem jumped out to a 16-3 lead in Friday’s 4A semifinal game against Timberlake, working the ball inside and knocking down enough 3-pointers that Timberlake never really had a chance to catch up.

The Diggers have beaten opponents by more than 25 points per game on the way to an undefeated season and postseason teams were no exception.

Sugar-Salem led 25-7 at the half and didn’t let up.

“I told them we have to play four quarters tonight,” coach Crystal Dayley said. “Our goal going into the game was to hold them to under 10 points every quarter and so that something we really focused on and we were successful … I thought they did a good job playing hard for 32 minutes.”

Timberlake gave up just 31.2 points per game, the best defensive scoring team in 4A. Sugar-Salem had 25 points at the half and 36 after three quarters.

And that defensive goal?

Timberline did not reach 10 points in any quarter and shot just 24%.

Andee Petterson and Ashlyn Harris each finished with 14 points for the Diggers (25-0).

Saturday’s championship matchup features just not two of the top scoring teams in 4A, but also two of the top defensive teams. Sugar-Salem beat Bear Lake twice during the regular season. The Diggers won 36-32 in overtime back on Nov. 21 and 50-39 on Jan. 3.