Pleasant Grove used a strong first half run to take control of its AHSAA Class 5A state semifinal against Charles Henderson on the way to 68-38 win on Wednesday at BJCC Legacy Arena.

The Spartans sprinted to a 22-point second quarter, ending the half on a 15-2 run, led by Ashaunte Monday. The 5-foot-4 point guard scored all 14 of her points in the first half.

“At that point, I said, ‘I’m a senior, so I had to step up,’” Monday said. “This is my team, so I had to step up.”

Skylar Lassiter came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points.

“This season we’ve had several young ladies to start the game, so to start or come off the bench is not a huge deal for us,” Pleasant Grove coach Walter Hicks said. “So, Skylar who made two or three 3s tonight, she’s a starter, but because of their lineup we decided to bring her off the bench tonight.”

After Pleasant Grove grabbed a 12-11 first quarter lead, the Spartans held the Trojans to double-digit scores in only two of four quarters. They finished the game with five steals and held the Trojans to 26.1 percent from the field and forced 24 turnovers.

“The bench was playing well. We wanted to conserve some energy and get some other young ladies some experience,” Hicks said. “I though she (Monday) played well, she probably had a few turnovers we’d like to have back early on. She played real clutch and made some huge shots for us.”

Star of the Game: Senior Ashaunte Monday scored 14 points, pulled down three rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded three steals.

“It does feel good to be here,” Monday said about going to the championship. “This is my first time here. I’m a senior, I ain’t never made it here.”

Stat sheet: Pleasant Grove – Junior Skylar Lassiter scored a game-high 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds and snatched four steals.

“It was just my teammates finding me, and finding the open person,” Lassiter said. “When I came out, I was very nervous. But my teammates talked me through it, and I got it together. When I locked in, shots start going down for me.”

Charles Henderson – Senior KK Hobdy scored a team-high 15 points, pulled down 12 rebounds, grabbed two steals and dished out two assists.

By the numbers: Pleasant Grove – The Spartans dominated this game in most metrics. They won the points off turnover advantage 29-13. They also won the points in the paint margin 36-12 just as they dominated the second chance points 15-5. Most importantly, they won the bench scoring margin 24-6.

Charles Henderson – Shot 13-of-50 field goals, 6-of-20 3-pointers.

They said it: “It’s been like the Dow Jones. It’s been up and down. We’re going to stay together. That’s our motto as a team, stay together. Regardless of the adversity on or off the court, were going to stay together.” – Pleasant Grove coach Walter Hicks

“I’m just proud of my girls. We’ve come a long way. Like I always tell them, we started off rough at the beginning of the season. We pulled it together, went on a winning streak. We were 0-2 in the area and ended up being area champs.” – Charles Henderson coach Dyneshia Elder.

Next up: Pleasant Grove plays the Arab vs. Brewbaker Tech winner for the Class 5A girls championship on Saturday at 9 a.m.