Basketball Recap: Salem Hills Comes Up Short

Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Salem Hills couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They were just a bucket shy of victory on Wednesday and fell 52-51 to the West Panthers. If the Skyhawks were looking for revenge after losing 62-49 to the Skyhawks when the teams met back in February of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Salem Hills' loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chenielle Nye, who dropped a double-double with 19 points and 19 rebounds. That was a full 37.3% of Salem Hills' points, marking the third time in a row Nye has posted more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Alexa Vance, who went 5-for-7 en route to 17 points and four steals.

Kylee Falatea was her usual excellent self, putting up 24 points along with six steals and five assists for West. Falatea is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last 43 games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaydence Falatea, who scored 12 points and five boards.

Salem Hills' defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 20-6. As for West, the victory keeps them at an undefeated 24-0.

Salem Hills does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for West, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 57-47 loss against Bountiful on the 28th.