When nothing could work on offense for a team that rarely doesn’t have things working on offense, No. 2 Olympus had to invent a new way to win against a bitter rival in No. 3 Highland.
The new way? Simply hold Highland to just two points int the entire fourth quarter.
The Titans closed the final eight minutes of the game on an 18-2 run to rush past the Rams, 57-50, in a defensive slog and claim that elusive chance to play for the 5A championship.
Both winners of the semifinal round, Olympus and No. 1 Alta, had to rally from fourth quarter deficits to make the finals and will face each other on Friday at 7 p.m.
After being upset as the No. 1 seed last season in the semifinals, Olympus’s trip to the title game was a long time coming.
“It was so sweet,” senior guard Jordan Barnes said. “Coming into this game, we knew we had our hands full. We’ve played Highland twice this year, and they’re a dang good team. At the end of the day, we were down eight going into the fourth, and we just found a way to win. It means a lot to have one more (game) to go.”
The Titans fielded the best offense in the state during the regular season, averaging over 75 points per game, but in the two games during the season they’d fallen below 60 points for the season, they were 0-2.
That is until tonight.
Despite shooting 6 of 32 from the 3-point line and 19 of 51 from the field, the Titans put on one of their best defensive performances all year against a top opponent.
“We found a way,” Barnes said. “If the 3s aren’t falling, you gotta find another way to win, and we did that.”
A clutch midrange jumper by Highland guard Isaiah Drisdom ended the third quarter with a convincing Highland lead, 48-39, and all momentum looked to be on the Rams’ side.
Yet, instead of Highland being able to close it out, Olympus answered quickly with a layup by Gavin Lowe, a rare 3-point make by Barnes and a basket from Reef Smylie to change the whole feel of the game. A strong presence of Olympus fans drowned out almost every other noise in the arena and let Highland’s student section have it all the way to the end.
The one thing offensively Olympus had going right was an efficient clip from the free-throw line, and it helped in a big way as the Titans went 13 of 16 from the stripe, netting nine of them down the stretch in the fourth.
Smylie led Olympus with 17 points, surprisingly efficient from the interior with 7 of 10 shooting. Barnes notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Highland was led by George McConkie with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Sefa Brown added 14 points, hitting the mark for just the second time in 14 games.