Eastview’s teams are nicknamed the Lightning, but St. Paul Central’s girls’ basketball team stood tall and nearly shocked the state Tuesday morning.

Top-ranked and No. 1 in the Class 4A state tournament field, Eastview could not shake upset-minded St. Paul Central. The teams were separated by one point late in the second half before the Lightning escaped with a 63-58 victory.

“We expected that,” Eastview coach Melissa Guebert said. “This is the state tournament and there are no easy games. It was nice to see the girls battle through that.”

Eastview (29-1) held a 30-28 edge to begin the second half. But St. Paul Central (24-6) took over, thanks to Jada Jones, Chelcie Kizart and Lyric Williams. The trio combined for 14 points through the first 5 minutes and 42 seconds of the second half. 

“We certainly weren’t taking them lightly,” Guebert said. “They are fast and they are physical in a good way. They hit the outside shot more than I expected.”

A familiar duo kept Eastview close. Madison Guebert and Kari Opatz, the leading scorers all season, contributed 55 of the Lightning’s 63 points. They stayed aggressive despite each playing with four fouls.

“This is the state tournament and everyone plays their hearts out,” said Opatz, a senior guard. She finished with 26 points. “We knew it would be a tough game and at times we had our ups and downs. But it was a team effort and we got through it.”