CEDAR CITY — One year after a 17-point loss in the second round of the 3A girls basketball state tournament followed by a midseason coaching change in 2025-26, Layton Christian turned things around and rose to the top.
Sarah Ledio scored 15 points, and Fabiana Lopez added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals as the Eagles used a 17-8 third-quarter run to rally past Morgan, 44-40 to capture their first 3A title Saturday at Southern Utah University.
"A state championship means everything to this team," said Layton Christian coach Mark Burton, who took over Dec. 23 following a 50-19 loss to Alta and finished with an 11-3 record. "It's historic. We've never been here. We have four year players that have never even competed for the chance to come here. For us to come here and win in this way — it's everything for this school."
Ava Smith added 8 points and 13 rebounds for Layton Christian (18-8).
Makayla Williams had 9 points and seven rebounds, and Kamry Wardell added 6 points, 15 rebounds and three steals for Morgan (16-11) as the Trojans built a 20-13 halftime lead.
But Sofia Olaya opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to help the Eagles to a 17-8 run to overturn the deficit.
