By Greg Perkins A strong first quarter gave the third seeded Lobos a 14-point lead over Florence in the 3A state quarterfinal round on Saturday, but after getting outscored by 10 over the course of the second and third periods, the Lobos had to hang on for a 45-39 win over the sixth seeded Gophers. Snowflake outscored Florence 19-5 through the first eight minutes, setting the tone for what appeared to be a blow out win. Florence however, battled back outscoring the Lobos 10-4 in the second, and 10-6 in the third making it a 29-25 game going into the fourth. Both teams scored well in the final eight minutes but the Lobos’ 16-point quarter secured them the win and home court advantage for the 3A state semi-final game that will be played on Thursday. With No. 2 Winslow getting upset in the first round, the Lobos will now host seventh seeded Fountain Hills. The Falcons soundly defeated Northwest Christian 53-26 in their quarterfinal game. Now Fountain Hills will have to travel to Snowflake on Thursday. Top seeded Valley Christian was upset by Gilbert Christian in the quarterfinals, meaning Snowflake as the three seed is the highest remaining seed in the boys 3A state tournament. Fifth seeded Page will host No. 9 Gilbert Christian in the other semi-final. The two winners will be at Eastmark High School at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday to determine this year’s state champion.
