Big second quarter leads Pleasant Grove to 5A title

Arab and Pleasant Grove played pretty evenly for three of the four quarters Saturday morning during the Class 5A girls championship but fortunately for those in purple and gold, the second quarter belonged to the Spartans.

After finishing the first quarter level on the scoreboard, Tamya Smith created some separation for herself and for her team, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minute of the second quarter. Pleasant Grove scored the first 12 points of the quarter, gaining a double-digit lead it would never give up on the way to a 53-36 victory.

"Right now, I can't even articulate what I'm feeling," Pleasant Grove coach Walter Hicks said. "I'm so proud of our young ladies for all we've gone through this year to come out here and battle every game and win the state championship is surreal."

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Smith scored 14 of her game-high 27 points during the second quarter. She finished with nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks on her way to earning tournament MVP honors.

Pleasant Grove (28-6) won its first state title in program history. The Spartans shot 40.4 percent from the field and made 11-of-18 attempts from the free throw line.

A lot of Pleasant Grove's offense started on the defensive end of the court. Ashauntae Monday, who scored 14 points, led the team with five steals while Carlisha Enge added four. As a team, the Spartans scored 19 points off 24 Arab turnovers.

Pleasant Grove finished with an edge in the paint, outscoring Arab 26-12.

Arab (22-13) fell one win shy of its first ever state title. Sydney Ferguson led the team with eight points and four assists while Bennett Elrod added seven points.