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American Fork • The first two quarters looked nothing like the Lone Peak that players, coaches and fans alike have been used to watching.

But the visiting Knights flipped the switch in time, and used a big second half to hold off a tenacious American Fork team, 72-69.

"We said this is not us, we usually don't play like this," Lone Peak's Max McGrath said. "We came together as a team and turned it around. This was us. We played as a team in the second half."

Steven Ashworth scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as the Knights (16-4, 8-0 Region 4) turned a 26-24 halftime deficit into a lead they didn't relinquish, despite getting the best efforts of the Cavemen.

Isaac Johnson scored 19 points and Zach McWhorter add 17 for American Fork (9-10, 2-6), which hardly looked like a team on the verge of missing the state tournament for the first time since 2010.

Johnson and McWorter had only five points in the fourth quarter, though, thanks largely to the Knights defense. In particular, it was the effort of McGrath, who was tasked with stopping Johnson despite giving up seven inches to the big man.

"Coach told me to get down low because he [Johnson] has that height advantage on me," said the 6-foot-3 McGrath, who had enough in the tank to score 14 second-half points. "Our defense always translates to the offensive end. Our defense was great in the second half."

Lone Peak missed its first six shots, and made just 2 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half. Ashworth made three 3-pointers in the second half.

American Fork trailed by as many as six on three different occasions in the fourth quarter, but kept it close with some big baskets from Jake Whitehead and Rob Crowther.

But Trey Stewart's 3-pointer at the buzzer missed wide left. —

Lone Peak 72

American Fork 69

R Lone Peak scores 27 points in the third quarter after putting up just 24 in the first half.

• Steven Ashworth scores 10 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, including four free throws in the final minute.

• American Fork falls to 2-6 in Region 4 and likely will have to win its remaining four games to avoid missing the State tournament for the first time since 2010.