The Highland Lady Rams were able to pull out an amazing victory against the Woods Cross Wildcats Wednesday afternoon during the intense 5A quarterfinals at Salt Lake Community College, with the final score being 51-41.

Highland scored 12 points in the first quarter whereas Woods Cross only scored six. However, in the second quarter, the teams switched roles. Woods Cross scored 14 and Highland scored seven. The score at the end of the first half was 20-19, with Woods Cross in the lead. It looked like it was going to be a close game with both teams pretty evenly matched.

However, the Rams came out in the second half completely dominating. They scored a total of 19 points in the third quarter, and outscored the Wildcats in the second half 32-21. As a team, Highland kept pulling ahead, and ultimately came out with the victory and a final score of 51-41.

“I felt like we worked together really well and had a lot of heart,” senior Taryn Johnson said.

Highland’s win against Woods Cross can be contributed to a couple key players. Johnson, along with senior Svetelana Olevao, played great in the game Wednesday afternoon were a huge part of the Highland team. Johnson had 11 points total, with a couple much needed 3-pointers. Olevao ended the game with 19 points and 17 rebounds.

The Lady Rams will need to continue playing well, like they did against Woods Cross, as the semifinals approach. They will be playing against their rival, the East High Leopards, in what is sure to be an epic game on Friday, February 23. They will take the feeling of winning yesterday’s game into tomorrow’s game, and are going to have to fight hard.

“[Yesterday’s] win was just another step forward to the championship,” Johnson said. “It felt amazing to hear that the Lady Rams haven’t made it to the semi-finals in 20 years. That really boosted our confidence for sure.”

As the Lady Rams prepare for the uncharted journey ahead of them, they can look forward to the familiarity of playing East. They have played East before in the regular season, and have an idea of what to expect during the game. Regardless, they will have to put their nerves aside, play with their whole hearts, and be on top of their game if they want to make it past the semifinals and into the championship game. The Lady Rams know they deserve to win and have the confidence to do so; they just need to go out there and prove it in tomorrow’s semifinals against the Leopards.