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Taylorsville • The Red Devils missed free throws. They gave up weak fouls. They didn't shoot particularly well in a championship game.

It wasn't an overwhelming performance — in some ways it was barely good. But Springville's gritty effort against Mountain Crest was enough to get a 44-40 victory and put Red Devils atop the heap for the second straight year in the Class 4A girls' basketball state finals.

"This is seriously the perfect ending to it," Springville forward Lexi Eaton said. "We've all worked so hard, and we've done an awesome job to get to this point."

Eaton helped Springville late in a battle of wills. The senior made seven of her final 10 attempts from the line in the final two minutes of the game and finished with a game-high 25 points. Jen Mason also provided some clutch shooting down the stretch and ended up with nine points.

But it wasn't as though Mountain Crest let the Red Devils run away with the championship.

After Springville fell behind by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, sophomore Emily Moore ignited a run by going to the hoop and getting fouled twice. Moore led the Mustangs with 13 points. Seniors Bri Jessop and Jordi Willden also added some points late, helping the team take a two-point lead.

"We were scared — just a little bit," Mason said.

But defensive stops gave the Red Devils the edge, and Eaton kept getting fouled at the hoop to put the game away. Willden ended up fouling out, and no one could make a shot to draw the Mustangs any closer.

Although the Mustangs had a 41-33 rebounding advantage and held Springville to only 27 percent shooting, they never seemed able to quite seize the big moments. Mountain Crest's 27 turnovers in the game also wounded its title hopes.

It wasn't the prettiest win, but it was just right for Springville. And for a starting lineup of seniors, it was the way they've dreamed of going out.

"My teammates mean the world to me," forward Mackenzie Nielson said. "They're my best friends, I know they always have my back. We've wanted this for so long."

kgoon@sltrib.com Twitter: @kylegoon —

Highlights

R Springville repeats as Class 4A girls' basketball champions.

• Lexi Eaton scores 25 points and grabs 12 rebounds.

• Despite shooting only 27 percent from the field, the Red Devils down the Mustangs forcing 27 turnovers.