Game-winning three from deep ends instant classic between Crimson Cliffs, Dixie High

With his team down by two with under 10 seconds remaining in overtime, Hudson Hawes ever-so-calmly dribbled across half court before pulling up and hitting a deep three put a bow on his clutch performance to lift Crimson Cliffs (10-3, 4-0) past Dixie (10-4, 2-2) 71-70 in Region 10's game of the year so far.

Hawes first had a chance to win the game in regulation.

Tied at 58 in the fourth, Crimson Cliffs head coach Kasey Winters drew up a play to get the ball into Hawes' hands. The senior guard faded to the corner and was double-teamed, and the shot sailed long.

Rarely do you get second chances. Hawes got his, and he capitalized.

"In regulation I tried to come off the screen and pull up and they doubled it," Hawes said. “So I just thought it would be better to pull up there from deep. It's the best feeling in the world."

Hawes willed a second half comeback for the Mustangs.

Down four, Hawes connected on an and-one three to draw Crimson Cliffs even at 53 in the fourth quarter. Trailing by five in the overtime, Hawes hit another and-one three, cutting the Dixie lead down to one at 69-68.

After Breckon Robinson splilt a pair at the line, the stage was set for Hawes to cap off a career night.

"Hudson is a great player," said Winters. "He hit two four-point plays tonight. The one before that was even probably bigger because he gave us a chance to keep it at one possession. We had a play where he came off a ball-screen and he hit it. He's a great shooter. He's a pressure player, big time player."

Hawes' swagger showed throughout scoring eight points in the first quarter. With every bucket Hawes hit, his smile widened, and his confidence grew.

"He makes shots all the time," Winters said. "He knows that if he shoots it, he thinks it's going in."

Hawes finished with a career-high 26 points.

Winters noted that the location where Hawes hit the game-winner is the same location as a Trei Rockhill game-winner over Desert Hills.

"Anytime we need a bucket, we'll just go to that spot," Winters said.

The Mustangs found themselves down by as many as eight in the overtime period. The Flyers attempted 25 free throws in the overtime, and only hit ten of them.

Winters told his club that despite the deficit, they still had time. His group of Mustangs stayed composed.

As Dixie continued to go to the foul line and come up empty, the door stayed cracked open for Crimson Cliffs until Hawes stepped into the spotlight

Hawes spent his freshman season at Dixie before moving to Crimson Cliffs when the school first opened three years ago.

In his sophomore season, Hawes saw limited playing time, averaging just 2.9 points per game.

After a junior year that saw him rise to 12.3 points per game, Hawes was named a Region 10 pre-season co-MVP along with Snow Canyon's Lyman Simmons and Cedar's Zab Santana heading into this year.

Hawes has lived up to the billing, leading the Mustangs in scoring at 14.3 points per game heading into Friday night's contest.

"It's huge," Hawes said of beating his former program. "It's my favorite game yet throughout all of high school for sure."

The win is also the first win over Dixie in program history for Crimson Cliffs.

Crimson Cliffs has used home-court advtange to its benefit so far this season, playing just two road games, and going 8-3 inside their home gym.

Four of the Mustangs' next six games are on the road, including a rematch with Dixie on Feb. 9.

"We'll see how good we really are, said Winters. "Our crowd is great and we have good energy. So it is always nice to be here at home, but you have to win here and on the road in this region especially."

Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. To continue to support his work, please subscribe to The Spectrum. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Hudson Hawes' overtime game-winner pushes Crimson Cliffs past Dixie