1 / 11

Morgan coach Scott Hunt and senior Kolton Asay hug after defeating Richfield for the 3A boys basketball state championship Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

2 / 11

The Morgan boys basketball team, defeating Richfield, hoists the 3A state championship trophy Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

3 / 11

Morgan junior Jake Hansen (11) puts up a 3-point attempt against Richfield during the 3A boys basketball championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

4 / 11

Morgan senior Nathan Pace (22) steers around Richfield senior Gage Yardley (1) during the 3A boys basketball championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

5 / 11

Left to right: Morgan players Jake Hansen (11), Kolton Asay (1), Nathan Pace (22), Mason Williams (31) and Bracken Saunders (5) stand for the national anthem before the 3A boys basketball state championship game against Richfield on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

6 / 11

The Morgan student section gets loud before the 3A boys basketball state championship game against Richfield on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

7 / 11

The Morgan boys basketball team huddles before the 3A boys basketball state championship game against Richfield on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

8 / 11

Morgan coach Scott Hunt looks on during the 3A boys basketball championship game against Richfield on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

9 / 11

Morgan junior Bracken Saunders (5) stares down Richfield senior Hudson Spell (30) during the 3A boys basketball championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

10 / 11

Morgan senior Kolton Asay, left, looks around Richfield senior Slate Reitz during the 3A boys basketball championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

11 / 11

Morgan junior Jake Hansen (11) pushes the ball past Richfield senior Griffin Wayman (3) during the 3A boys basketball championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

❮ ❯

OREM — Scott Hunt was 11 years removed from his last state title when the 24-year basketball coaching veteran called it a day after four seasons in charge of Roy’s boys program.

Hired at Morgan in 2023, Hunt’s first foray into 3A ball ended 12-12 with a season-ending home loss to Judge Memorial in the second round of the state tournament. In his first practice back, Hunt broke out the whiteboard and scribbled out three goals for his three returning seniors and a supporting cast of rising talent.

One, a region championship; two, the No. 1 seed in the state tournament; three, the school’s first state championship since 2019. Anything less was unacceptable.

Hardly 48 hours removed from a stomach illness, Bracken Saunders — like any Trojan on the roster — wasn’t going to let his team down. Saunders’ 26 points, five rebounds and three steals led top-seed Morgan to the big prize, defeating No. 3 Richfield 47-32 in the 3A state championship Wednesday night at the UCCU Center.

It’s a near-perfect finish for the Trojans (26-1), losing just one regular-season date to Green Canyon in November. (Green Canyon took the 4A tournament’s No. 1 seed and one loss into a 4A tournament title loss.)

Hunt, winning his fifth state title to make him the 10th boys coach in Utah to claim at least five trophies, recalled his first-ever meeting with the now state-champion Trojans.

“I knew that was a special bunch,” Hunt said. “We committed ourselves all summer long. We played over 50 games just with our high school, they were playing AAU ball, (open gym) three days a week and on Saturday mornings, they were there and they were committed.”

After a first half where, as Saunders put it, the Trojans couldn’t “buy a point,” Morgan carried a one-point lead into a second-half performance that saw the junior guard nearly triple his output at the hoop with support from teammates Jake Hansen (10 points), Brody Peterson (seven points) and Nathan Pace (nine rebounds).

Beginning the night an especially cold 0 of 4 from the floor, Morgan overcame early pressure to make it 7-all by the end of the first quarter. Pace grabbed the first basket of a similarly low-scoring second quarter giving the Trojans their first lead of the game as both sides exchanged a flurry of turnovers; Richfield led 13-11 by the four-minute mark.

Saunders grabbed his own rebound and flushed a short-range jumper for just the fifth field goal of the half for the Trojans — just 5 of 26 at halftime but good enough for a 15-14 lead. The Wildcats hardly shot the ball better (6 of 26), but dominated the glass with 20 rebounds.

“I sat down and said ‘Listen, you’ve invested,'” Hunt said. “I tried the best I could just to keep them cool. By nature, I’m an emotional guy and I can get pretty emotional sometimes in regards to challenging kids. I knew with this particular group we just had to be calm and keep our poise.”

Richfield returned without an answer three minutes into the second half, giving way to a 9-0 run including Peterson’s first 3-pointer to see Morgan lead by as much as 11. Late baskets by Gage Yardley (14 points) and Malik Fautin (nine points) made it an eight-point deficit for the Wildcats heading into the fourth.

Sustaining a six-point buffer with three minutes still to play, Morgan successfully distanced itself from the Wildcats on a 7-0 run highlighted by a deep Saunders 3-point to put the Trojans up by 13. A myriad of late 3-point attempts didn’t pan out for Richfield, closing the second half as a 23% shooting team.

In contrast, Morgan more than doubled its first-half production ending the night 17 of 48 from the field and a perfect 10 of 10 at the charity stripe. The revival saw Morgan return to form the way Hunt knows best.

Three seniors — Pace, Kolton Asay (two points) and Ben Russell (one rebound and one assist) — will depart from Morgan’s 26-1 state championship campaign. Saunders said the contributions those three players made during their careers are immeasurable.

“We grew up,” Saunders said. “You saw it on the court. We’re all bigger, stronger and faster. … They’re my brothers and I’m going to miss them next year.”

As a head coach, Hunt now has five state championships with three different programs (Panguitch 1998; South Sevier 2006, 2011, 2012; Morgan 2025). It’s Morgan’s first title since 2019 and fourth since 2013.

BOX SCORE

Morgan 7 8 15 17 – 47

Richfield 7 7 8 10 – 32

MHS (47): Saunders 26, Hansen 10, Peterson 7, Asay 2, Pace 2.

RHS (32): Yardley 14, Fautin 9, Spell 5, Southwick 4.

Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.