Valley had every reason to believe everything was going its way at the right time.

It had the lead with 4:17 left in the Division III girls state championship game and the momentum after a 13-0 run. But Winslow worked too hard this season to allow another state title to slip away just like last year.

The lessons Winslow learned from last year were applied in the final minutes of Saturday’s game at Jobing.com Arena. Winslow didn’t allow Valley to score again in the fourth quarter until a meaningless three was made just before the buzzer sounded.

As soon as the game was over, Winslow and its throng of fans began to celebrate a 45-40 championship victory.

“After losing to Page (in the state championship game) last year we made a commitment that we were going to work harder than our opponents this year, and that’s what these kids did,” Winslow coach Jerron Jordan said. “We made some plays and didn’t panic when they (Valley) took the lead.” 

The last thing anybody likely expected to see was Valley leading, especially after Winslow went ahead 36-23 early in the fourth quarter.

But the short and determined Valley girls scratched and fought back with the help of the turnovers they caused. Valley scored 27 points off of turnovers Saturday.

After a third quarter cold spell, Valley also started hitting from the outside in the fourth quarter, when it knocked down three 3-pointers during that 13-0 run against Winslow’s 2-3 zone.

“They played with their hearts,” Valley coach Julia Six said about her team. “They played. They really wanted it. I’m proud. I’m proud of what they did.”

Winslow only committed one turnover and its low post players hit big shots and free throws during the final minutes.

Winslow outscored Valley 30-14 in the paint and outrebounded its opponent 43-28. Sophomore Shandiin Armao (21 rebounds, 17 points) had another big tournament game for Winslow.

“It (losing last year’s title) just made us want it more this year,” Winslow forward Mattea Begaii said.

The victory for No. 1 seed Winslow (27-5) gave its third-year coach his first state title at a program accustomed to playing for titles.

Jordan served as an assistant for Winslow’s former coach, Don Petranovich, the state’s all-time leader in wins, for 10 seasons. Petranovich also won his first title in his third season.

The Arizona coaching legend attended Saturday’s game.

“At the end of the day it’s about the kids,” Jordan said.