The Grantsville girls basketball team has dominated various opponents for various amounts of time in games this season as it has steam-rolled to a 20-1 record and a Region 11 championship.

In the biggest game of the season so far, Grantsville opted to dominate the second quarter and first part of the third quarter against region leader Morgan in Grantsville last Thursday.

In a 12-minute span the Cowgirls went from two points down after the first quarter to 16 points ahead, 30-14, in the middle of the third quarter.

Morgan battled back, but the Cowgirls' 21-3 run during those 12 minutes provided enough cushion for them to hold on for a 40-38 victory and a share of the Region 11 crown.

"We started out a lot stronger this time," said coach Kenzie Newton. As opposed to the last time these two teams played when Morgan led by 21 at halftime. This time around it was Grantsville by 11 at intermission.

"We were a lot more patient on offense and we executed. We boxed-out and rebounded unlike the last time when they out-rebounded us by 20. The main thing was that second quarter when we held them to three points and we scored 16," the coach said.

After finishing in fourth-place in region the past two seasons, Grantsville shares the title with Morgan this year and will be seeded first from Region 11 in the 3A state tournament which starts on Friday. The Cowgirls host Union Friday at 7 p.m., a team they beat by 24 points back in December. The state tournament will continue Feb. 21-23 at the E Center in West Valley City.

Grantsville played before a packed house last Thursday and when the final buzzer sounded it was euphoria for the team and its fans.

"This has never happened before. We've never done this well," said Grantsville's lone senior Kylie Erickson. "I knew we could do it, but the feeling after we had won was a bit overwhelming."

Erickson jump-started the Grantsville offense late in first quarter when she buried a three-pointer from the right corner to give the home team its first lead at 9-8.

Then one minute into the second quarter, Erickson hit another three-pointer from the same spot. Two minutes later, Sammie Jensen scored a three-pointer the old-fashioned way with a two-point basket and a foul shot to continue the second-quarter blitz.

By the end of the second quarter Jensen had scored 9 points, Erickson 8. Marissa Robbins 7, Rachel Topham 2 and Kelsi Wells 2. Grantsville led 25-14.

Grantsville built the lead to 34-20 after three quarters as Wells started to heat up with four points and Robbins added a trey.

Drama unfolded in the final period as the Trojans edged closer and closer.

The visitors sliced the lead to 36-31 with 4:37 left in the game when Chelsey Garfield scored a basket and a foul shot. One minute later, her sister Ashley Garfield drove in to score to make it 36-33.

Chelsey Garfield, who scored 28 points against Grantsville in the first game, had been held to only two points going into the fourth quarter thanks in part by strong defense from Grantsville's Ashley Bartlett.

Morgan was trying to feed Chelsey Garfield inside during the final quarter and she did score seven in the final frame.

With Grantsville up 36-33, Erickson intercepted one of those inside passes intended for Garfield and Grantsville worked its offense to free up sophomore Wells for a shot at the top of the key. Wells drilled the three-pointer to push it to 39-33 with 1:34 remaining.

"She's a great outside shooter," Newton said. "During those final few minutes I just told the girls to play our game and run the offense. If they foul you, hit the shots."

On the next possession, Robbins swatted a Morgan three-point attempt and the crowded erupted. But with 19.4 seconds remaining, Morgan's Chrishelle Stegelmeier scored and was fouled to slice the lead to 39-38. Jensen sank one of two free throws to make it 40-38 with 13 seconds left.

Morgan had a final chance to tie or win the game with 13 seconds remaining, but Grantsville extended its half-court defense and Morgan lost possession of the ball at mid-court with .5 seconds remaining to end the game.

Jensen scored 14 for the game, Wells 9, Erickson 8, Robbins 7 and Topham 2.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com