This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Richfield • Bryce Valley was dead in the water. Nothing was working as it trailed by eight points with less than five minutes to play in the Class 1A girls' basketball championship against Tabiona at the Sevier Valley Center on Saturday.
The usually meticulous Mustangs suddenly were out of their comfort zone, hoisting up 3-pointers, so coach Tyson Brinkerhoff called a timeout to calm the nerves.
"I told my team, 'Refuse to lose,'" Brinkerhoff said. "That is our yell all year long."
The message resonated.
Bryce Valley turned up the tempo defensively and embarked on a 9-1 run to force overtime, where it eventually held on to win the program's first state championship, 37-36.
"We had injury after injury. We had foul trouble. They did not quit," Brinkerhoff said. "That bunch of girls have won a bunch of games just like that. That was fun."
The Mustangs opened the game on fire, specifically Danielle Brinkerhoff, the coach's daughter, who scored seven points in the first quarter. But Tabiona eventually clamped down defensively.
The Tigers opened an 18-16 lead with an 8-2 burst at the start of the third quarter, but Bryce Valley, using its methodical approach, worked the ball around the perimeter and eventually found sophomore Karleen Roundy on the left wing for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:51 remaining in the period.
Then after the Tigers took a 20-19 lead into the final eight minutes, sophomore Aspen Stewart scored a quick five points, including banking a straightaway 3-pointer, to furnish the largest lead of the night, 25-19, for Tabiona.
But Roundy countered with a 3-pointer of her own.
However, once Tabiona continued to build a lead again, Bryce Valley started to get out of its comfort zone. The Mustangs started chucking up numerous shots from beyond the arc rather than operating in their normal patient style.
That allowed the Tigers to open a 30-22 cushion with less than five minutes remaining.
"We just thought about what really matters," Danielle Brinkerhoff said. "We dug deep and pushed through. The main thing was don't ever give up. Don't ever give up."
Bryce Valley extended its defense full-court, which correlated with numerous Tabiona turnovers and a 9-1 Mustang run that culminated with Brinkerhoff's jumper with 18 seconds left to force overtime.
The run morphed into a 15-3 run before McKall Giles connected on a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to stop the bleeding. The Tigers had an opportunity to win it at the buzzer, but Bryce Valley's active hands prevented an attempt with 7 seconds remaining.
"They deserved it," coach Brinkerhoff said. "I've been coaching this bunch since they were in third grade. Every minute of the way. Very rewarding feeling."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Bryce Valley 37, Tabiona 36 (OT)
R Bryce Valley uses a 15-3 run at the end to capture the school's first girls' basketball state title.
• Danielle Brinkerhoff (13) and Karleen Roundy (11) combine for 24 points in the win.