Crowning achievement: Timpview girls pick a fine time to beat Orem

TAYLORSVILLE — The sixth time is the charm. And the timing was impeccable. The Timpview girls basketball team broke a streak of five straight losses to the Orem Tigers by rushing out to a huge lead in the first quarter and stealing the 4A state title from last year's champs with a 57-49 victory.

"It was good to get it against them," said Timpview coach Kawika Akina of his title against the Region 7 foe. "We were struggling with a mental block against them and we finally got past it."

And they got past it in a big way as they borrowed some momentum they'd gained in their blowout of Sky View on Friday and brought it strong into the first quarter against the Tigers, taking a 19-9 lead and riding all the way through the game.

"We were 5-22 in the first half. We played better after the first quarter. But if you don't play all four quarters sometimes you get beat, and we got beat tonight," said Orem coach Ross Reed about his team's early collapse.

It was some intense defense, great rebounding and the early shooting of tournament MVP Gabrielle Pinegar that got the T-Birds off to the fantastic start. Pinegar poured in two treys in the early going, putting up all of her nine points in the first quarter, the quarter that nailed Orem to the floor. After her early shooting fireworks, she decided to get the ball to her open teammates and dished out five assists in her team-high 26 minutes.

"I just wanted to get everyone involved. I just passed it to the open girl. They might as well get the points," said Pinegar of the night that capped off her senior season.

She followed in a family tradition of state championships, and appreciates the feeling all those family members have told her about much better now.

"I've watched my brother win the championship, and I've always wanted to win it too," she noted.

"Pinegar is our glue, man. She plays hard on defense, passes well and is our best shooter," said Akina, the first-year head coach that couldn't stop smiling.

And the T-Birds threw in a little surprise just before the game started, a surprise that just might have given them a little more spark from the opening tip. Their star player that went down a couple of months before the season started with a torn ACL, Alexis Kaufusi, was dressed and ready to go if the coach could get her into the game.

And because of the intense start and the team's ability to hold onto the early lead, she had the chance to play for one minute of action late in the fourth quarter.