Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
OREM – Cottonwood Colts head coach Marc Miller hasn't cut his hair since he started growing out his mullet.
His team hasn't stopped winning, either — and now they're in a state championship game.
It certainly didn't come easy, but No. 6 seed Cottonwood held on after one final flurry to end No. 7 Snow Canyon's Cinderella run 48-45 Tuesday night at a rocking UCCU Center. The Colts will face No. 1 seeded Layton Christian Academy in the 4A boys basketball final Wednesday night at 6 p.m. MST.
John Rosevear finished with 12 points to lead the scoring for the Colts, while Owen MacKay finished with a game-high 31 points for Snow Canyon, including four 3-pointers.
"We've got guys that can handle the ball and play individually, but they've all bought in," Miller said. "At the end of the day, what makes us most happy is when we get the win."
The win almost didn't come, though. The Warriors cut a seemingly insurmountable 10-point lead to just a single point with 14.1 seconds left, including back-to-back 3-pointers by MacKay.
But what spurred the Colts to victory was their superior size. Leading scorer Chris Cox was held to just 6 points, but it was forward Peter Oguama who stepped up to share the load.
Oguama finished with 10 points, none bigger than the putback off an offensive rebound to put Cottonwood ahead 46-39 with just over a minute to go. He also hit two clutch free throws with under 10 seconds left to create the final margin.
Miller called Oguama one of the most underrated forwards in the state and one of his favorite players he's ever coached. "That kid always comes in and gives 110%."
Oguama said that effort is what he brings every game.
"Coach always tells me to go for every offensive rebound in every practice," he said. "That's just how I play the game."
It's also how many of his players play the game, including guard Ryan Nielson.
"This just shows how we can beat anybody," Nielson added. "We can play defense and score against anyone; we're just a great team. ... We're just a bunch of dogs. It's not just me; with Chris and Peter hitting the boards, and everyone hitting their shots and doing their job, it helps a lot."
Nielson only finished with 2 points on the night, but Miller said the beauty of players like Nielson lies in his defensive prowess and what they can do in other phases of the game.
That would explain why the Colts are the last Cinderella team standing.
"We have a little bit of everything," he said. "When we put it all together, we're a dangerous team."
No. 1 Layton Christian Academy 68, No. 4 Green Canyon 54
Spurred on by a stellar defensive performance, the No. 1 seed Layton Christian Academy Eagles advanced to the 4A boys basketball finals with a 68-54 victory over No. 4 seed Green Canyon earlier Tuesday evening.
After the game was a near dogfight most of the night, with no one leading by more than 7 points, the Eagles took control with a 19-point fourth quarter to finally put away the stingy Wolves.
The Wolves were led by Jared Anderson with 23 points, and Jaxon Drysdale had 22 more for Green Canyon.
Green Canyon head coach Logan Brown called his team the best group he's ever coached.
"As a coach, you want them to finish strong at the end," he said. "They showed a lot of resilience today."
The Eagles certainly did, as well. Wing Luka Kulundzic, who finished with 20 points, hit a 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to push the lead to 49-44. The Wolves never recovered after that as LCA clamped down in the final eight minutes.
First-year Layton Christian head coach Casey Stanley said the surge bridging the third and fourth quarters is a testament to his team and their hard work.
"At the end of the day, we just have really good players," he said. "I don't really have to overcoach; it's all them at the end of the day."
One of the players who keyed the surge was senior guard Marcus Miles. Even though he only finished with 7 points, Miles was a key lynchpin in a defense that smothered Green Canyon in the fourth quarter.
"Pressure is the biggest thing we preach," Miles said. "Having that last all four quarters and being able to do that is huge for us."
Stanley called Miles, who also plays football for LCA, one of the toughest players on the team.
"He knows what it's like to practice every day and do something grueling," he said. "He just keeps getting better and is an unbelievable addition to this team."
When asked if it's fair to compare his game to current Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, he just smiled and laughed, deferring it to his own role he's carved out for himself — to be a disruptor on defense, even though he doesn't get the points.
He also carries a chip on his shoulder from earlier this year, when he almost didn't make the team after tryouts.
"Defense is all heart and hustle, and I've been able to prove that throughout the year," he said. "My defense is what allows me to help my team."
