Back-to-back: Lone Peak has big finish to beat Skyridge for 6A title
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- Lone Peak players pose for a photo with fans and cheerleaders after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner cuts down the net after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players and coaches celebrate after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Kailey Woolston goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Naia Tanuvasa jumps for a rebound during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge junior Cambree Blackham looks to avoid the defenders during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika cuts down a piece of the net after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge junior Shae Toole and Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika battle for the ball during the 6A championship game at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Naia Tanuvasa goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge defenders try to stop Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika battle for the ball during the 6A championship game at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Naia Tanuvasa goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior Abby Hymas drives to the basket during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Shawnee Nordstrom dribbles up the court during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge freshman Ellah Oeser goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge junior Shae Toole goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge junior Cambree Blackham goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior Danya Perkins goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Naia Tanuvasa goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players cheer for a good play during the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge fans cheer for their team during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior Danya Perkins goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge junior Cambree Blackham goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Kailey Woolston cuts down a piece of the net after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika holds the state title trophy after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner holds the state title trophy after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate with principal Todd Dawson after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players pose for a photo with the state title trophy after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Makeili Ika (right) and sophomore Katy Lawrence celebrate after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge head coach Shaylee Nielsen and the Falcon seniors pose for a photo with the second-place trophy after the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak senior Kailey Woolston (left) and junior Shawnee Nordstrom celebrate after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner hugs senior Kailey Woolston after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players pose for a photo with the state title trophy after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Lone Peak players and coaches celebrate after the 6A championship game against Skyridge at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior Abby Hymas goes up for a shot during the 6A championship game against Lone Peak at the Dee Events Center in Ogden on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
OGDEN — Coming into the 6A state championship game, the top-ranked Lone Peak girls basketball team was 19-0 against teams from the Beehive State, almost all of the wins by 20 or more points.
No. 2 seed Skyridge stepped into Saturday’s matchup with other ideas.
The Falcons, which lost twice to Lone Peak by 16 and 11 points, respectively, during Region 4 play, rode pressure defense and an attacking offense to a 47-45 lead with just under five minutes to play at the Dee Events Center.
An upset was brewing.
Instead, the defending state champs dug deep and took control, rolling to a 19-2 finish for a 64-49 victory.
“We just came together and played our game,” said Knights senior Kailey Woolston, who led her team with 18 points and ten rebounds. “A lot of people made big shots and I’m so proud of them for staying calm and finishing it out. It was fun to win it in an exciting way to see what we were made of. There were definitely a lot of nerves but we settled down.”
The Knights upset nationally ranked Fremont in last year’s 6A title game, a double-overtime classic. This year, Skyridge seemed set on pulling off another stunner. The game was close throughout and the Falcons took a 47-45 lead with 4:50 to go on a jumper from Cambree Blackham.
That’s when Lone Peak took over.
“I think it was so obvious,” Knights coach Nancy Warner said. “We didn’t get stops like we normally do. I can count on one hand the numbers of times we played a zone this year. We really lock in with our man-to-man and play intense man-to-man and for whatever reason we couldn’t get stops like we needed to. So we had to adjust to a zone and we got the stops.”
Then this: “I just told them to take a breath. There was no need to rush things. The nerves, or whatever it was, we just needed to slow down.”
Lone Peak junior Shawnee Nordstrom, who struggled to find a rhythm all game long, finally dropped in a 3-pointer for a 48-47 advantage at the 4:30 mark. On the next Skyridge possession, Knights senior Makeili Ika hounded the ball and eventually forced a turnover. She raced down the floor and fed Naia Tanuvasa for a layup and a 50-47 advantage with 3:21 to play.
Lone Peak led 52-49 with just over two minutes remaining when Kennedy Woolston — Kailey’s sister and a freshman — knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner for a 55-49 Knights lead.
“It was awesome,” Kailey Woolston said. “I was so happy for her. She’s always ready for the big moment and she showed up big time.”
From there, Lone Peak drained 7 of 8 from the foul line to finish off the victory and earn back-to-back state championships.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Nordstrom said. “It’s really special. I haven’t lost to an in-state team in a Lone Peak uniform (the past two seasons), so that’s great.”
Ika scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half for the Knights (23-3), Tanuvasa had 12 points and Nordstrom finished with 10. Lone Peak had ten first half turnovers but finished with just 12 and outrebounded Skyridge 39-23.
“I think it’s a little easier on your heart and mind when you’re up, but I think what this showed is just the grit and heart of our leadership to step up to take the team on their backs,” Warner said. “They needed to make sure they did the job on the defensive end and make the adjustments we needed to, and they did. I’m just so proud of Kailey and Makeili and their leadership as seniors.”
This is the third state championship for Lone Peak (1999, 2022, 2023) and the sixth for Warner, who won three titles as a coach at Springville (2010, 2011, 2013) and one as a player at Bountiful (2001).
Blackham paced Skyridge (19-6) with 18 points and five steals. Perkins added 15 points, including 9 of 11 from the foul line.
“What we always fall back on is our defense, especially our full court press,” Falcons coach Shaylee Nielsen said. “They played their hearts out and got stops and played our scouting report super well. We really tried to get the ball to our posts because Lone Peak is smaller but they’ve got quickness and speed. Our posts were able to finish. We really tried to isolate them and they did a great job.
“All our kids stepped up. It was just the last couple of minutes we couldn’t find the holes. Being with these kids and my coaching staff, they are just incredible people. They’ve helped me build a program here and it’s amazing to spend time with them every day.”
Box score
Skyridge (49)
Toole 4, Blackham 18, Hymas 8, Perkins 15, Oeser 4. Totals 15 15-22 49.
Lone Peak (64)
Nordstrom 10, Ika 15, Ka. Woolston 18, Tanuvasa 12, Bartholomew 6, Ke. Woolston 3. Totals 22 14-18 64.
Skyridge 14 11 18 6 — 49
Lone Peak 16 6 18 24 — 64
3-pointers: Skyridge 4 (Blackham 2, Hymas 2); Lone Peak 6 (Ika 2, Nordstrom, Ka. Woolston, Tanuvasa, Ke. Woolston).
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