After splitting two close regular-season games, Burnsville and Eastview had one last matchup in the Class 4A, Section 3 championship.
Though the score was within six points at halftime, Burnsville couldn't hit the outside shots it needed. A solid second half by Eastview propelled the Lightning to an 82-64 victory Thursday at Farmington High School.
Eastview (18-11) held a 33-27 lead at halftime with nine points from junior forward Tate Machacek and seven from junior guard Ryan Thissen.
Burnsville junior forward Daniel Rosenber hit two three-pointers on his team's first two shots to get the Blaze an early lead. He finished with a team-leading nine points in the first half. Burnsville (12-17) scored five three-pointers in the first half.
"We just started locking them up," Lightning forward Steven Crowl said. "The first half we were allowing [them] to shoot a little too much, uncontested, and then we started locking them up."
Eastview outscored Burnsville 49-37 in the second half to earn its fourth state tournament appearance and first since 2012. Junior guard Jaylen James led the Lightning with 21 points, including 9-for-11 free-throw shooting. Rosenber led the Blaze with 17 total points, including five three-pointers.
"We didn't shoot the ball very well. We're not a drive-and-slash team. We rely a lot on our shooters," Blaze coach Rob Mestas said. "When it came down to it, we just didn't make enough shots."
Jack Warrick
