SALT LAKE CITY — Gavin Lowe couldn't have picked a better way to wrap up his star-studded career with Olympus basketball.
Even if it meant he had to pass.
Lowe had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists to help Olympus rally by Bountiful 53-46 to clinch the Titan's third consecutive 5A championship Friday night at the Huntsman Center.
Oliver Clarke added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Adam Bywater scored 8 points to go along with 10 rebounds and two assists for the Titans (25-2) — who opened the season as repeat favorites and closed with a third consecutive title for the sixth time in state history, according to the Utah High School Activities Association record book.
"I didn't think this would be how my career would turn around," said Lowe, whose Titans have won four of the last five 5A championships and six since 2016. "But I'm really glad it did. I'm really glad this is how it ended, I'm glad I could do it with these guys, and that I could build impressive memories with these dudes.
"I love these dudes, and I'll hang with these dudes for a while. These are my guys, and I wouldn't have rather done it with anyone else than Olympus."
The two-time defending 5A champion Titans had reigning Mr. Basketball honoree Lowe. But in a game neither led by more than 4 points until the final minute, Bountiful punched first for the early edge.
Davey Howe connected on 3-of-4 from the field for 7 points, and Lincoln Smith added 9 as the Redhawks shot 45.% from the field with five 3-pointers en route to a 27-26 halftime edge.
Olympus scored 12 points in the paint and outrebounded Bountiful 16-10 before the break to keep pace, as Lowe had 8 points and two assists and Bywater — a BYU commit at linebacker — added 8 points and five rebounds.
The Titans wrestled back control with a 13-8 run in the third, including a 3-pointer in the closing minutes by Clarke that helped Olympus to a 39-35 advantage with eight minutes remaining.
Bountiful's Ty Cottle tied up the game at 42-all with less than five minutes remaining. But Lowe found Davian Lazarus down low to stretch the lead back to three, 48-45, with a minute to go to clinch the Titans' repeat title.
"We knew a game like this was going to happen," Lowe said. "That's why we knew we had to emphasize defense and rebounding: the little things."
That's the thing about Lowe, a 5-foot-11 UC Irvine commit with more than 1,100 career points since he became a full-time starter at Olympus three years ago.
He's also got 330 career assists, and the four dimes he dished Friday night may have been just as impactful.
Even when the senior shot just 4-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-5 from inside the arc, he still made an impact on the game.
"They were easy passes to make, because they were so centered on me shooting," Lowe said. "Although I didn't have the best shooting night, that's where my impact had to come: with passing."
Lowe's been a shooter since he got to Olympus — and maybe since he came out of the womb. But his setup play may have been underrated this whole time.
"I'm very proud of him. He's special, and we'll miss him," Olympus coach Matt Barnes said. "That's what made us so good.
"He tore apart Highland last year by scoring; he can get a little aggressive going downhill, but he just plays so hard with so much toughness and urgency. He's just a warrior, and knows how to play. His passing is underrated, and it makes him very special."
Just as big for Lowe and his teammates was the win for Barnes, who sixth championship is tied for to move into a tie for sixth all-time since the UHSAA sanctioned boys basketball in 1908.
"Getting another one for him is big," Lowe said. "He's an amazing coach, he's won championships before me, and I know he'll continue to win championships after me. But I'm just glad I could be a part of three."
Smith finished with 14 points and four rebounds to lead Bountiful (19-8), and Crane added 12 points for the Redhawks.
