12:00 AM, Jan. 5, 2012
| HURRICANE - It's already been a season of hard knocks for the Dixie boys basketball team.
After sustaining two-possible season-ending injuries in preseason to key players Kyle Hansen and Walker Swensen, many experts and fans had written off the Flyers as making an impact in Region 9.
That was until Wednesday night, when a depleted Dixie squad went toe-to-toe with heavily-favored Hurricane.
In a bitterly contested battle, the Flyers overcame numerous turnovers and some key mental mistakes down the stretch to fend off the Tigers, 45-42.
"The bottom line is we played hard," said Dixie coach Ryan Cuff, whose program improved to 1-1 in region and 5-6 overall. "The guys believed in each other. There have been injuries to this team, but we've been able to mix up our lineups and adjust."
Flyer guards Deshon Brown and Devin Bennett each poured in 12 points with Kyler Smith contributing seven. It was Smith and Tallen Tipton's efforts inside the paint that helped an undersized Dixie front line keep up with Hurricane.
One could almost sense this region duel was going to be a closely fought game throughout.
After a low-scoring first quarter, both teams mustered some offensive consistency in the second as Dixie held a slim 24-23 lead at halftime. Yet the strong defensive play returned in the second half on both ends of the floor, creating a physically charged game everywhere on the court.
Early in the fourth, Hurricane's Boston Gubler (11 points and six blocks) made a big block in the low post that led to a Colton Marshall (12 points) transition bucket that gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead.
It wasn't enough to deter Dixie from battling back.
Brown's quick and forceful dribble-drive on the right wing resulted in a tough and-1 score off the glass. The senior missed the ensuing free throw, but his offensive execution gave the Flyers a lead they would never relinquish.
With under a minute to play, Hurricane pulled to within 41-40 after Marshall hit one of two free throws after being fouled on his offensive rebound and putback attempt. Overall, the Tigers finished 5-of-12 from the charity stripe.
After trading field goals, Dixie committed an inbound violation at Hurricane's end of the floor with 10 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Tigers (0-1 region, 6-3 overall), their offensive set went unsuccessful as Weston Yardley's jumper was just off the mark. The loose ball led to the Flyers adding two more free throws with three seconds left.
Taylor Parker's ensuing half-court heave veered off course and sealed the Tigers' fate.
"Dixie's a very good team that is very well-coached," Marshall said. "Deshon (Brown) is a threat anywhere on the court, and especially his driving the lanes ability."
Marshall added the Tigers were eager to get their region schedule started. Although Wednesday's game didn't prove the ideal outcome, he is optimistic about the road ahead.
As for Dixie, Cuff shared similar sentiments as he said it was nice to get the win, but at the same time, he knows there is a lot of basketball to be played and the Flyers will need an effort like they showed on Wednesday game in and game out.
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