When Eden Prairie's offense started to click on Friday, Edina just couldn't keep pace.
The ninth-ranked Eagles closed the first half on a 22-9 run and started the second half with a 9-2 spurt on their way to an 84-76 victory over the Hornets in the Class 4A, Section 2 final played at Eden Prairie.
Down the stretch as Edina sought to come back, Eden Prairie made 13 of 16 free throws to seal the program's sixth section title in eight years.
"We were hungry. We had to work hard to get back in this position and win it," said senior Kyler Kluge, who finished with 14 points. "We played smart and played together and got it done. It feels great."
Sophomore John Henry led Eden Prairie (22-7) with 21 points. He hit back-to-back three-pointers that stretched the Eagles' lead to 37-24 with two minutes left in the first half. He made another three-pointer after Edina had pulled back within 10 points with five minutes to go.
Another sophomore, Austin Andrews, scored 18 points for the Eagles, who had five players score in double figures.
"We have five guys you have to guard. That puts a lot of pressure on the defense," said Eden Prairie coach David Flom, in his 12th season leading the team. "Henry made a couple of big shots and that gave us some momentum and opened things up for everyone else. Edina collapsed inside and we had guys step up and make shots."
The Eagles led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half before Edina (19-10) began to chip away.
Senior Anders Nelson led the charge, scoring 30 points. His final basket got the Hornets back within single digits in the final minute.
