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Judge Memorial wears down San Juan in state tourney opener

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Delaney Palmer, (34) grabs a rebound for an Juan, in 3A Women's basketball playoff action Judge Memorial vs. San Juan, in Heber City, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Delaney Palmer, (34) grabs a rebound for an Juan, in 3A Women's basketball playoff action Judge Memorial vs. San Juan, in Heber City, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.

Heber City • Everything, it seems, has changed for the Judge Memorial girls’ basketball team.

But there is at least one constant: Victories at the state tournament in recent years.

The Bulldogs, seeded third out of Region 13, disposed of San Juan 56-39 on Friday afternoon in a Class 3A state tournament game played at Wasatch High School.

“I think we’re going to do well. We lost a couple of seniors who were real important to us last year,” diminutive Judge senior guard Emily Garcia said. “I think we’ll be competitive.”

The Class 4A playoffs ended with the upstart, Cinderella-like Bulldogs finally falling to Skyline in overtime in the state championship game last season.

Eleven of the schools in last year’s 4A field of 16 teams moved up to 5A with reclassification. Hillcrest and Kearns moved up to 6A, while Mountain View stayed at 4A.

Only Judge Memorial moved down a classification, and the Bulldogs have a new coach in Lori Jones to boot.

“It’s been a change, and change is life,” Jones said. “I think it’s been a grind all season. We’ve just been trying to figure out what fits best for everybody, trying to figure what we’re good at defensively.

“We’ve made a lot of tweaks and adjustments as the season’s gone on. Because our identity has changed almost game to game sometimes.”

Judge (9-13) got the jump on San Juan (12-10) in the opening round behind the steady play of senior Miyalla Tarver, who scored 23 points to lead all players.

The Bulldogs pushed a one-point lead to a seven-point advantage after Tarver swished a top-of-the-key 3-pointer and Abigayle Kendall followed that with a corner trey.

Further breathing room for Judge came after the Broncos’ Delaney Palmer scored the first bucket of the second quarter to cut her team’s deficit to 18-15. The Bulldogs then went on an 11-1 run with Tarver and Garcia accounting for nine points during the run.

The final dagger came when Judge scored the first 14 points of the fourth quarter to put away San Juan, which was led by Palmer’s 14 points.

Tarver was the game’s high scorer, but Garcia — all 5 foot 5 of her — was a big presence, too. She scored 14 points and claimed 10 rebounds.

“I play soccer too, so I just learn where to get the ball,” said Garcia, adding that instinct plays a big role in her ability to board beyond her size.

“Ten boards is not normal, but she is very crafty and kind of a ball magnet,” Jones said. “She has a nose for where the ball is going, and if she can get a jump on it, she usually can make some things happen.”

JUDGE MEMORIAL 56, SAN JUAN 39 <br>• Miyalla Tarver scores 23 points and Emily Garcia adds 14 as Judge gradually extends its lead. <br>• Sophomore Delaney Palmer paces San Juan with 14 points and eight rebounds. <br>• Judge Memorial, last year’s state runner-up in Class 4A, will next play Juab in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.