WEST VALLEY CITY — After Spencer Nielson scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to help Payson open up a 12-point lead, Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell had seen enough.
He called a timeout, and finally said he was sick of watching his team play selfishly, and challenged his players to dig deep: "It's now or never. Get down, get dirty, get after it and start playing like you want to win," he said.
Amazingly, the ploy worked.
The Braves outscored the Lions 18-4 after Nielson's nine quick points to cap a stunning 57-55 come-from-behind victory in the opening round of the 4A state tournament at the E Center.
"It was three quarters of showing up and not playing, thinking we're too cool, and one quarter of playing like you want to win a championship, like you're in a tournament," said Maxwell.
Payson's awful ball-handling had as much to do with the comeback as Bountiful's increased intensity.
Leading 51-39 early in the fourth, Payson turned the ball over seven times the rest of the quarter, and finished the game with an eye-popping 20 giveaways. The Braves took the lead for good with 54 seconds remaining on a Ben Aird lay-up, but they dodged a bullet when Jordan Buys' potentially game-winning running jumper with under three seconds remaining bounced off the rim.
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Payson's seven turnovers were partly the result of good scouting.
"They're a team that's struggled with pressure . . .we knew that," said Maxwell. "But we're not a team that throws a lot of pressure at you really well, but when you have to, it's now or never, you put it out there and hope for the best."
It worked thanks largely to the play of Bret Markowski and Jordan Maxwell. While Markowski came up huge in the hustle categories with four rebounds, four assists and five steals, Maxwell hit some big 3-pointers late in the third quarter when Payson was threatening to run away with the game.
"Thank heaven for a couple kids who don't get too much glory," said coach Maxwell.
In a building where most teams don't shoot very well, it's tough to fathom how Payson lost despite shooting 46 percent from the field in addition to making 9-of-18 3-pointers.
It's all because of those annoying turnovers.
The decisive stretch occurred midway through the fourth quarter with Payson leading 53-45. The Lions' next four possessions all ended in turnovers, and Bountiful capitalized with a 7-0 to cut it to 53-52.
Even though Payson regained the lead at 55-52 on a Steven Broadbent lay-up with 2:48 remaining, it was the Lions' last basket of the game as their final six possessions ended in four missed shots and two turnovers.
Aird finished the game with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and was one of four Braves' players in double figures. Nielson led Payson with 17 points, while John Massey and Broadbent each added 11.
Bountiful will face former region foe Olympus in Thursday's quarterfinals at 6 p.m.
"We don't match up with them, they don't match up against us, it's going to be a battle of wills," said Maxwell.
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com