Lone Peak wins 6A girls title on last-second shot

PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Makeili Ika certainly has a flare for the dramatic.

After hitting the game-winning shot with 2.8 seconds left in the 6A semifinals, Ika banked in the game-winner in the championship game with .5 seconds left in double overtime, as Lone Peak capped a perfect 23-0 season with a 67-65 win over Fremont.

“I did it for my family,” Ika said fighting through tears. “My family has never been in a state championship. This is my hometown. I’m from Provo, and I got to take the state championship in Provo. It means a lot. I love this team — undefeated.”

Maggie Mendelson scored 24 points, while Timea Gardiner added 23 as Fremont built a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But Kailey Woolston led the Knights back, scoring 26 points as Lone Peak battled back to force overtime, tied at 54.

The Silverwolves had three chances to win the game at the end of overtime, but Gardiner missed a layup, while two Mendelson rebound taps would not fall.

In double overtime, Lone Peak held the ball for the final two minutes without calling a timeout, setting up Ika’s heroics.

“To call a timeout, I was battling in my head, but I just thought, hey, we know a play to go to,” said Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner. “This means everything. I’m so happy for the girls. They work so hard. It’s been a process, and to get them here, it feels so good.”

Ika finished with 15 points and four assists, while Shawnee Nordstrom added 11 points for the Knights.

Asked to explain how she felt after her game-winning shot, Ika said, “It’s better than my birthday!”

This is Lone Peak’s first state championship since 1999.