Forget the notion it's tough to beat a good team three times in one season. Throw out the argument for four as well.
Newly crowned 2A state champion North Sevier made it five with a 54-41 victory over Kanab Saturday in the Centrum."The more times you play a team the more times you can fall to them," said North Sevier coach Craig Gladwell. "The score made it look like it was an easy game, but it never felt that way."
Call it championship jitters. Aside from a 2-0 deficit, the Wolves were in control throughout. A 13-3 run, powered by seven points from Brandon Rasmussen, gave North Sevier the lead for good.
"We were stale at first," said Rasmussen who finished with 17 points. "I thought I'd better do something."
The senior forward scored 15 in a stretch that gave the Wolves a 31-16 advantage with 6:56 to play in the first half. Six 3-pointers, three each by Rasmussen and Chad Mickelsen, sparked the barrage.
Casey Glover, who finished with a game-high 20 points for Kanab, pulled the Cowboys to within seven points on a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter but the tournament Cinderella could draw no closer.
"That is an excellent ball club. They executed well," said Kanab coach Hal Hamblin. "They were hitting the threes and we were hoping they wouldn't."
So describes North Sevier's attitude.
"We wanted it so bad no one could take it away from us," said senior point guard Kurt Bosshardt. "And we did it."
A destination that eluded the Wolves last year when they lost in the finals to Beaver - which North Sevier defeated in an overtime semifinal Friday.
"We forgot to play the game last year," said Gladwell. "We learned from it."
The title is the Wolves' fifth overall and first since 1991.
"When your living your dream," Rasmussen said shortly after clipping off a piece of the net, "it's the greatest feeling in the world."
Third-place game
Monticello 70, Beaver 54: State MVP candidate Justin Bradshaw scored 27 points but it wasn't enough to lift the top-ranked Beavers past the Buckaroos. Landon Day led Monticello with 28, while teammate Steven Freestone added 21.
Fifth-place game
Manti 74, Millard 55: Mike Cox led four Templars in double-figures with 19 points to compliment a 24-of-25 team performance from the free throw line. Brian Bartholomew finished with a team-high 17 for the Eagles.