Been there, done that: Lone Peak girls win fourth straight 6A state championship
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner directs her team during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Tatiana Harness looks to make a pass during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Charli Warner shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Lave Holdcraft looks to pass the ball during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Maddie Pope drives to the basket during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Zuri Nordstrom shoots a 3-pointer during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Lave Holdcraft shoots a 3-pointer during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston encourages her team during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston and junior Lave Holdcraft get fired up during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate a big shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Lave Holdcraft shoots a key free throw during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Tatiana Harness closes her eyes before shooting a key free throw during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak juniors Kennedy Woolston (right) and Tatiana Harness celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner directs her team during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Lave Holdcraft drives to the basket during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Charli Warner goes up for a layup during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players prepare to take the floor for the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players prepare for the starting lineups before the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Zuri Nordstrom lines up for a free throw during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner talks to her players during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players celebrate after winning the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Huni Folau goes up for a layup during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Charli Warner goes up for a layup during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak sophomore Zuri Nordstrom shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Maddie Pope battles for a loose ball during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior Kennedy Woolston shoots a shot during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshman Charli Warner drives to the basket during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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- Lone Peak freshmen Maddie Pope (left) and Huni Folau cheer on their team during the 6A championship game against Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
SALT LAKE CITY — Some basketball truisms: Double tie your shoelaces, always foul up three with under 10 seconds to play and never go in against Lone Peak’s Nancy Warner with a state championship on the line.
Warner has coached her teams to seven state titles and the seventh may be the sweetest: The Knights, who came into this year’s 6A tournament as the No. 7 seed, overcame a 12-point first half deficit and played brilliantly down the stretch of Thursday’s 46-42 victory against top-seeded Copper Hills at the Huntsman Center.
It was the fourth consecutive state championship for Warner and Lone Peak. She won the other three at Springville.
“She (Warner) told us to stay calm,” junior guard Tati Harness said. “There was nothing being rushed or anything like that. She believed in us 100% so having her with the experience behind us, behind our side, it really helped us.”
The game was tied at 42-all when Harness was fouled with 12.2 seconds to play. She drained two free throws for a 44-42 lead.
“It was nerve wracking, I can’t lie,” Harness admitted. “But I have this quote written on my hand, ‘SFT,’ which means ‘See it, feel it, trust it.” I just trusted the work I’ve put in all season long.”
Lone Peak’s full-court press forced a Copper Hills turnover and senior guard Lave Holdcraft came up with the ball. She was fouled and confidently made another pair of foul shots with 11.2 seconds left for a four-point lead that sealed the victory and set off the wild celebration for the Knights.
“This (the state tournament) is a part of coaching I love,” Warner said. “I love strategizing and watching game film and seeing how we can game plan to be at our best against whoever our opponent is. It makes me better as a coach, for sure.”
It brought out the best in the whole coaching staff, which includes Kristen Pool, Feli Ika and Xanning Tyler, in game planning for the talented Grizzlies.
Harness scored 13 points and was the only Knight in double figures. Kennedy Woolston scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds and added four assists.
“Our motto this whole state tournament was ‘stay together,'” said Woolston, who now has three state titles to her name. “We knew we could come back if we stayed together. We came in with confidence. We didn’t come in like the seven seed, and I think that led to our being able to fight back from that 12-point deficit. We never gave up with the game on the line.”
Sophomore Zuri Nordstrom, who played even though she was sick, made two 3-pointers and scored seven points. Freshman Charli Warner added seven points as well.
Lone Peak (20-7) caused 17 turnovers (and had only four), which led to a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Aspen Fraser led Copper Hills (21-6) with 10 points. Skylie Barker, who came in averaging better than 20 points per game, finished with nine points and eight rebounds.
A big key for Lone Peak was its zone defense, which was leaky in the first half but after some halftime adjustments helped hold Copper Hills to just 14 second half points.
The Knights went more than seven minutes of game time without a point in the first half, falling behind by as many as 12 points. Leading 7-4, the drought resulted in a 14-0 Copper Hills run between the first and second quarters. Ella Creer came into the game averaging four points per contest but scored six straight points as the Grizzlies took an 18-7 lead with 6:14 to play in the second period. Woolston finally broke the offensive slump with a layup with 5:45 to go, but Fusi Leger’s 3-point play pushed the Copper Hills lead to 21-9.
As the half came to an end, Nordstrom’s high, arching 3-pointer found the net and Lone Peak trailed 28-22 at the break.
The Knights opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run, getting a 3-pointer from Harness and four points from Woolston, to take a 31-30 lead. A late score from Abby Bush allowed Copper Hills to tie the game at 34-all entering the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies took a quick 39-34 lead at the start of the fourth quarter but a Harness basket and another Nordstrom 3-pointer knotted the score at 39 with four minutes to go, setting up the stretch run.
“First and foremost, our leaders stayed calm,” Coach Warner said. “I credit Tati, Kennedy, Lavi and Zuri. I think those four staying home, always locked into what I was saying in time outs and throughout the game, being able to execute how we wanted to, then making the adjustments at halftime, that was huge. We were trusting each other. That’s what it really came down to.”
Lone Peak defeated Copper Hills last season for the 6A title as well, winning 65-47. The Grizzlies handled the Knights 55-40 on Jan. 7.
The last Utah team to win at least four consecutive state titles was Beaver, which earned five straight 2A titles from 2001 to 2005.
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