The Pleasant Grove Spartans won their first ever girls basketball state championship on Saturday, defeating Arab 53-36 behind a dominant performance by tournament MVP Tamya Smith.
After the teams were tied 9-9 in the first quarter, Pleasant Grove seized control in the second quarter, outscoring Arab 23-8. Smith knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to start the period, sparking a 12-0 Spartans run. She finished with 14 points in the quarter on her way to a game-high 27 points along with 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
“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.”
Pleasant Grove’s pressure defense set the tone, forcing 24 Arab turnovers which led to 19 Spartan points. The Spartans constantly disrupted the Knights’ offense, limiting them to just 5 field goals and no 3-pointers in the first half as they built a 32-17 halftime advantage.
“They’re tenacious,” said Arab coach Brad Kitchens. “I told them in the locker room that we played some physical teams this year, we played some quick teams this year. But they were physical and quick. They were just tenacious.”
Ashaunte Monday added 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals for Pleasant Grove. The Spartans dominated inside, outscoring Arab 26-12 in the paint.
Arab was led by Sydney Ferguson’s 8 points and 4 assists. But the Knights had no answer for Smith and couldn’t get their outside shooting game going, finishing just 2-12 from 3-point range.
Pleasant Grove (29-6) celebrated the first basketball state title in program history after finishing as runner-up last season.
“For the last 4 or 5 years we’ve been knocking on that door,” coach Hicks said. “Last year we were one shot away from being here. We’ve been so close, and to finally knock that door down feels great.”