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St. George • Desert Hills clung to a two-point advantage with 30 seconds remaining after relinquishing its lead for the first time all evening moments prior.
Pine View needed to foul to stop the clock, but before it had an opportunity, Marcus McKone ignored the four-corner scheme and released a 3-pointer from the corner pocket.
Confidently squaring his shoulders, McKone waved a fluent farewell, twining the nets and lifting the Thunder to a 52-44 win over the Panthers on Friday night.
"If it was anybody else, I would probably be freaking out," Desert Hills coach Wade Turley said. "But if that kid has his feet set, he's 80-90 percent. I felt really good about it when it left his hands."
Added McKone, who scored 10 points with three triples: "My coaches have confidence for me to make those shots. I had to just think about putting it up knowing it would go in."
After an 11-0 start, Pine View (11-2, 2-2) has now dropped two consecutive region matchups. Desert Hills (10-3, 3-0), the Region 9 preseason favorite, claims sole possession of first place.
"Very big [win], especially for me," said Thunder forward Quincy Mathews, who finished with a game-high 22 points. "I could [have] either chose to go to Desert Hills or Pine View, and I live closer to Pine View. It's my biggest rival."
The Thunder established an early 27-17 lead while Pine View's Kody Wilstead served his bench sentence after picking up two fouls in the first three minutes, limiting him to two first-half points.
Wilstead ignited a furious rally in the final two quarters, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds. His interior presence prevented Desert Hills from capitalizing on garbage points, which it did frequently in his absence.
Pine View opened the fourth on a 10-2 burst for its first lead of the night with 3:10 remaining.
Logan Hokanson immediately followed with a double-clutch jumper for the Thunder before Mathews recaptured the lead with two freebies.
Garrett Bowker scored 10 points for the Panthers, while Chaz Peterson added nine. Tanner Leishman chipped in nine points for the Thunder, with seven in the first quarter.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday: Desert Hills hosts Snow Canyon, and Pine View hits the road against Canyon View.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs