SALT LAKE CITY — Pleasant Grove's post players of 6-foot-6 sophomore Sutton Villa and Utah Valley signee Tabi Clark demanded so much oxygen all year that the Vikings' point guard often got overlooked.
But Janiece Sikander was hardly overlooked Friday afternoon.
The 5-foot-3 senior point guard had 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Vikings capped an undefeated season with a 45-30 win over West in the 5A girls basketball state championship at the Huntsman Center.
Zuri Nordstrom added 9 points and four rebounds for Pleasant Grove (27-0), including a pair of second-half 3-pointers that helped the Vikings pull away for their first title in program history.
Not bad for first-year head coach Angela Villa.
"And I'm retiring," she joked after the game. "But I honestly don't have words for how this season went.
"I knew they were talented, and I knew I had an idea of what I wanted to do with this talent — teach them how to play ball," she added. "Girls don't always get the opportunity to just play basketball, and that was a big goal of mine. I wanted them to have fun, and restore fun back in this game for PG, specifically."
Going 27-0 takes plenty of work, and Sikander didn't back down the pressure that undoubtedly followed the top-seeded Vikings through the year.
A championship season to remember! 🏆 Congratulations to the Pleasant Grove Vikings on an outstanding accomplishment! 🏀🎉 pic.twitter.com/pJUXtoZC8U
— UHSAA (@UHSAAinfo) February 27, 2026
When the final seconds ticked off the clock Friday, any pressure immediate floated away into the curtain-lined rafters of the University of Utah's home court.
"We knew that every team that we were playing would have their best game against us; we're the ones to beat," Sikander said. "It was a little pressure, but at the same time it was just a game at a time. And we did that."
Not that it was easy early.
West held the Vikings scoreless until Sutton Villa's finish at the rim with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
Nordstrom hit a 3 to bring Pleasant Grove back within two, and Sikander tied the game just before the first-quarter buzzer at 9 apiece.
The rest was history for a team that had never played together wearing those colors on the state's biggest stage.
Sikander had state championship experience before transferring from Westlake, and Nordstrom and reserve Siri Burgess were part of Lone Peak's march to last year's 6A title. And that experience proved pivotal for a first-year head coach with a mostly first-year team, at least until they could settle into the biggest game of the season.
"We were frazzled. We were nervous. We were newbies," Villa said. "And I was a newbie, so I started to panic when they started to panic. So that wasn't good.
"I told my veterans to control it, to step up, and be calm and collected — just play ball. Then they came back, and never looked back. Janiece was in full control."
The Vikings used an 11-6 run in the second quarter to take control, leading by as much as 7 with 2:39 remaining. Oregon signee Kylee Falatea converted a turnover into 2 at the rim to pull the Panthers within three, 18-15, with 1:01 left in the half.
But Clark finished at the rim in the closing seconds, and Sikander finished with 8 points and two rebounds at the break to lift Pleasant Grove to the 20-15 halftime advantage before the Vikings never trailed in the second half with a pair of posts standing 6-foot-2 or taller.
The younger Villa had 10 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks in Thursday's semifinal win over Fremont. A day later, the sophomore finished with just 4 points and six rebounds — but maybe a dozen on-ball and off-ball screens as Sikander made all the right moves and the Vikings assisted on eight of 14 made field goals.
"Having multiple options at your fingertips is a huge factor for a point guard," Villa said, "and she relies on that."
Falatea finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals to lead West (25-2), and Tiana Fa and Tia Pan each scored 6 points for the Panthers.
But it wasn't enough for a first-year coach and her mostly first-year roster that earned experience playing together on the club circuit before marching into the history books.
"We want to create a legacy at Pleasant Grove; I want the community to be involved in the girls basketball program," Villa said. "They're a very dedicated and loyal community — a lot of people don't leave Pleasant Grove. Many of the teachers were students there.
"I just wanted them to fall in love with girls basketball, and be loyal with us. These girls are loyal to each other, they're loyal to me, and I want the community to be proud of that. They've had some incredible talent to come through PG … and my goal is to create a legacy. I plan to be here long after Sutton is gone. I want to be there for the long haul, and I want to make the community proud."
