Terrific Tigers — Orem surprises Bonneville, earns 4A state championship

TAYLORSVILLE — The Orem Tigers did something they haven't done all year en route to their surprising 66-52 victory over Bonneville to win the state 4A girls basketball championship.

They played their offense and racked up 66 points the right way on the Lakers, who seemed unable to stop them.

"That was our offense, it was nice to finally see us run it," said Orem coach Ross Reed, who knew his players had the talent to win a state title but had to put it all together at just the right time.

Riding a seven-game winning streak coming into the championship game wasn't enough to make Orem the favorite as Bonneville had shown a little more offensive prowess throughout the playoffs. But in the end, the Lakers just didn't have quite enough to take out the state champs.

"At the end of the third quarter we were up nine, and I knew if we maintained we'd be OK," Reed noted. Then just before the end of the fourth quarter he knew it was over and his team had done it.

"Before the season started I told the team they were good enough to win the state championship," he said. Then he watched a season full of ups and downs, just like every other coach in the 4A ranks.

Throughout the first half it appeared the Tigers had a real battle on their hands as the Lakers' biggest lead was 16-11 midway through the first quarter. Orem grabbed its biggest lead at 28-25 midway through the second. The Tigers snagged a one-point advantage heading into the locker room, but it was a dogfight that looked to continue.

But then came the third quarter.

"We came out in the third quarter on fire," said tournament MVP Delyse Downey. "In the first three games we were supposed to be running our offense, but we never got through a play in any of those games. So that's why I knew they wouldn't know our plays."

Downey ran the Orem offense to a T throughout the game and added an uncharacteristic 17 points to her stellar effort at the point.

The Tigers not only ran their offense in the third quarter, but they were able to stall the Bonneville offense at the same time, grabbing hold of a nine-point lead heading into the fourth.

But they still weren't satisfied. They knew they had work to do to take that state title. But through the fourth

quarter that lead just kept getting a little bigger until the Lakers finally gave up and put in their bench down the stretch.