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Richfield • North Sevier star Peyton Torgerson could not control her emotions as she clutched the Class 2A girls' basketball gold trophy.

"This is everything I worked for for the past eight years," she said as the Wolves celebrated their unlikely 49-45 overtime victory over Emery on Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. "It is so hard to control your emotions."

And this, indeed, was an emotional win.

The Wolves lost to Delta in the state title game a year ago. They lost twice to Emery by double digits, including once by 28 points, during the regular season. And they trailed much of this game.

"It absolutely wasn't easy, but I think those are the best things in life, the ones that are the very hardest," said North Sevier coach Lexa Larsen, whose team won its first state title since 2006. "We won a lot of games by a lot of points. It's fun to win, but it's more fun to win games like this. They are scary. And they test you."

The Wolves were tested a lot.

Led by amazing sophomore Megan Jensen, who finished with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, Emery led most of the way, building leads as big as seven points in the third quarter.

But it seemed as though Torgerson did something important every time the Spartans were ready to put them away. It might have been a key steal, a big rebound or a no-look pass. It meant guarding a taller and stronger Jensen in the fourth quarter and overtime when teammate Hailee Higgs picked up her fourth foul.

Torgerson scored off two steals to tie the game at 31-31 to end the third quarter. She scored six of her team's seven points in overtime.

"She gave us her all," Larsen said about Torgerson, who finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals. "She was huge at the free-throw line. She was not about to miss free throws. ... She knows she has a lot of responsibility, but she is better when she is getting everyone else involved."

And Higgs was one of those who was very involved. She led her team with 19 points, almost single handedly keeping her team close, especially early in the game. She and Torgerson were the most tearful Wolves when it was over.

In the key play of the game, Torgerson grabbed a steal and fed Higgs for a basket to send the game into overtime.

Emery, too, showed more than a little heart in a game of highs and lows. Kacelyn Toomer, for example, played with an ankle broken in two places.

In the end, though, North Sevier refused to be denied again in the state title game.

wharton@sltrib.com

Twitter @tribtomwharton

North Sevier 49, Emery 45, OT

R Peyton Torgerson scores 18 points, grabs nine rebounds, gets five steals and dishes out five assists while scoring six of North Savior's seven points in overtime.

• Emery sophomore Megan Jensen scores 26 points and hauls down 12 rebounds.

• Hailey Higgs scores 19 points to help give North Sevier its first girls' title since 2006.