Midway through the third quarter Tuesday night, Pinnacle was on cruise control and in the fast lane towards a victory over its 6A Desert Valley Region rival O'Connor, but the Eagles weren't about to go down without a fight.

After watching a large second half lead dwindle, Pinnacle picked up the pace and ultimately used its offensive balance to take care of O'Connor, 59-49 in the first of two contests during the inaugural Title IX Classic hosted by Hamilton.

Heather Stedman and Mia Singstock led Pinnacle with 13 points, while Abby Dean and Norah Moo added 12 each for the Pioneers.

Seven of Dean's 12 points came in the decisive final quarter, including five points in a crucial sequence towards the end of the fourth quarter that helped seal the win for the Pioneers (18-6, 8-0).

"Going into the (fourth quarter), I told my teammates we needed to amp up the game," Dean said afterward. "O'Connor plays with a slower tempo than we're used to, so I reminded everyone of our last game against Sunnyslope when we were able to play at a faster pace."

Pinnacle beat Sunnsylope 65-43 last week.

Thalia Daniels scored nine of her game high 23 points in the third quarter for O'Connor (14-8, 5-3), including a three-point field goal to start the second half. Singstock kept up for Pinnacle, scoring seven in the third quarter, which saw the Pioneers build a 35-22 lead halfway through the quarter. That's when Daniels led O'Connor on a 13-4 run in the final minutes of the third, capped by Ava Schooler's leaning floater off the glass.

Suddenly, Pinnacle was clinging to a 39-35 lead entering the fourth quarter.

But Pinnacle showed its mettle in the fourth quarter. Dean and Heather Stedman connected on two quick field goals, and the Pioneers worked the ball down low, resulting in 13 attempts from the free throw line, as they steadily wore down O'Connor.

Bella Overlock and Audrey Bhesania each added 10 points for O'Connor, who will host Liberty Friday night.

Pinnacle will host Boulder Creek.