With Titans’ sophomore Brittney Martin having her hands full battling Pleasant Grove’s 6-foot-7 Jennifer Hamson in the post, Hazlett — the No. 5 scorer in the state 5-A ranks averaging 16.74 points per game — was spectacular in Saturday’s 5-A championship game at Salt Lake Community College.

    Hazlett scored a team-high 27 points on 8 of 18 shooting, while dropping in 10-of-11 free throws in 30 minutes. The 18-year-old, who will be playing college basketball at Army this fall, grabbed seven rebounds, dished off five assists, swiped five of Syracuse’s eye-popping 21 steals and blocked a shot in the Titans’ 62-49 victory over the Vikings in Bruin Arena.

    “It was awesome to end my career this way and the best way to leave,” Hazlett said. “I’ll remember the chemistry of the girls, going undefeated and winning it all, and our amazing coaches. It’s not completely sunk in, but it’s a good feeling.”

   The two-time defending Region 1 champion Titans capped the girls basketball season with an unblemished 25-0 record. Syracuse won the first girls state title in the school’s three-year history.

   “Being state champions means we were the best team throughout the season and no one can take that away from us,” Syracuse coach Rob Reisbeck said. “The way we ended last season was a great motivating factor.  On Feb. 27, 2009, Riverton spanked the Titans 66-33 in the state 5-A semifinals.

    Reisbeck has been an integral part of two undefeated 5-A girls championship teams. He was an assistant coach on the 2004-05 Layton High team that went 24-0.

    “It’s a little different because this one is mine and I’m in control,” he said. “I learned a lot that season — how to deal with off-the-court stuff and the pressure of a winning streak — at Layton.

    “It helped me this season because I learned so much that season from Van Price,” said Reisbeck, who embraced Syracuse assistant coach Jeff Bearnson following Saturday’s final buzzer. “I wouldn’t be coaching if it weren’t for Van Price.”

   A 12-zip run spanning the first and second quarters brought the Titans from three-down to nine-up at 6:17 of the second quarter. The Syracuse lead grew to 12 points with 37.8 seconds left in the third period.

    With 5:57 remaining, it was a six-point game. But an 8-0 Titans’ spurt over the ensuing 3:04 sealed the deal.

   “We were a little nervous when they cut it to six. It was a little scary,” Hazlett said. “We wanted to attack them and take the ball to the hole.”

   Syracuse shot 45.7 percent (21-of-46) and scored 22 points off 28 Pleasant Grove turnovers. The Titans only committed three second-half turnovers, with their 15 turnovers leading to just seven Vikings’ points.

   “We had to play really good defense,” Hazlett said. “Our guards played really well, putting good pressure on the ball.”  

    “It was very hard guarding Hamson; there is not much you can do with her,” Martin said. “We tried to front her before she got the ball, and then somebody gave backside help.”

    BYU-bound Hamson scored a game-high 32 points, hitting 13-of-18 shots, with a  game-high 14 rebounds. She had five 30-plus point games this season.

    “I don’t like it, but it’s what we had to do,” Martin said. “Defense wins games and championships.”

    No other Vikings’ player scored more than five points on combined 7-of-28 shooting (25.0 percent) for Pleasant Grove (17-9), which had its six-game winning streak snapped

Djamila Grossman STANDARD-EXAMINER