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Taylorsville • Brighton supporters smothered the court in an ocean of orange shirts advertising the program's slogan: "It's Our Time."

Swarmed inside the raucous postgame celebration, the Bengals cheered, while others shed tears of emotion, chanting the lyrics of victory with their fellow classmates. After an 11-year hiatus, it certainly was their time, as they hoisted the Class 5A state championship hardware proudly above the crowd following a 49-40 victory against Fremont.

"Life goes on after basketball, but the memories you make and the friendships you create last a lifetime," said McCall Christensen, whose 12 points put her with two other Brighton players to reach double figures — Lindsey Johnson (13) and Dani Barton (12).

Brighton coach Jim Gresh suspected this outcome well-before the season. He grouped his four incoming seniors — Alyssa Hirschi, Sammie Smith, Johnson and Christensen — together in the spring.

"I said, 'We have a chance,' " Gresh recalled. But Brighton promptly lost its season opener to Class 3A's Juan Diego. The hiccups continued with setbacks against Skyline, and twice against Copper Hills. But the feeling that this could be the year never faltered — if anything, it grew.

"It helped us have a stronger resolve," Gresh explained.

The grittiness learned from those rare defeats shined at Salt Lake Community College on Saturday afternoon. With 2:30 remaining in regulation, Fremont's Shelbee Molen pulled the defending champs, which had trailed by as many as 10 in the third quarter, back to within 43-40 with her fourth 3-pointer.

"I did get a little nervous, but you know what?" Christensen said. "I knew we could do this."

As she had done all day, Christensen hibernated on the baseline, waiting patiently for an opportunity. As Johnson escaped the defense, Christensen cut to the rim, receiving a backdoor bounce for an easy layup to bring the lead back to five.

Brighton's physicality gradually weakened the 'Wolves on both ends. Barton, Christensen and Hirschi (eight points, 10 boards) continued to muscle up layups — leading to a 15-4 third-quarter advantage — while Fremont, hesitant to challenge the awaiting defense on the interior, suffered from tired legs on short attempts from the perimeter.

The Bengals corralled 36 rebounds — 10 offensively — compared to Fremont's 24. They also scored more points in the paint (20-12), while defending the 'Wolves into shooting 16 for 49 from the floor, and 4 of 20 from 3-point range. Molen finished with 20 points, but no other player reached double-digits.

Brighton contemplated installing a box-and-one to guard Molen in the second half after she scored 13 of her team's 25 first-half points, hitting on 5 of 11 attempts from the field, including three from long distance. Instead, it switched to man-to-man from its signature 2-3 zone.

"We weren't getting out to the shooters; we weren't fast enough, I guess," Barton said. "I think the man [coverage] really changed the game."

Christensen stood, separated from the masses, analyzing the moment, while hugging the championship trophy like a long-lost friend. Barton pulled away, too, panning the frenzy. It had been too long since Brighton experienced the championship madness, Barton explained.

And it was about time.

Twitter: @trevorphibbs —

Brighton 49, Fremont 40

R Brighton wins its first state championship since going back-to-back in 2003-04.

• The Bengals switch from their signature 2-3 zone to traditional man-to-man to contain Fremont's Shelbee Molen in the second half.

• Lindsey Johnson, McCall Christensen and Dani Barton all score in double figures for Brighton. —

Recent 5A champions

2015 • Brighton

2014 • Fremont

2013 • Riverton

2012 • Syracuse

2011 • Alta —

5A All-Tournament Team

MVP

• McCall Christensen, Brighton

Team

• Dani Barton, Brighton

• Lindsey Johnson, Brighton

• Harley Hansen, Fremont

• Kirsten Spencer, Riverton

• Jenna Shepherd, American Fork

As voted upon by members of The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News