Eastview’s girls’ basketball players must wait until Saturday to find out if they are to become champions.

But they have earned the survivors tag twice in as many state tournament games. No. 1 Eastview outlasted No. 3 Eden Prairie for a 62-51 victory in Thursday’s Class 4A state tournament semifinal game.

The Lightning (30-1) return to Williams Arena for the championship game at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Williams Arena. Eastview will play either unseeded Lakeville North or No. 2 Bloomington Kennedy. Their semifinal game was completed Thursday after this edition went to press.

Eastview did not go ahead of Eden Prairie (19-10) to stay until less than five minutes remained in the game. The Lightning also trailed St. Paul Central in the second half of Tuesday’s quarterfinal game.

Eden Prairie shadowed Eastview standout Madison Guebert throughout and trapped her before half court several times. Guebert finished with five turnovers, one assist and one field goal. Ten of her 12 points came from the free-throw line, and all of them came in the second half.

Guebert finished well below her season average of 21.9 points per game. But three of the Lightning’s five starters, Emee Udo (17 points), Kari Opatz (15) and Erika Schlosser (9), scored above their season averages to pick up the slack.
Eastview coach Melissa Guebert, a former Miss Basketball winner, said she sensed her daughter’s frustration.

“But I think what it showed her and her teammates is that even when that’s happening, that’s why you have four other kids on the floor,” Melissa Guebert said. “What bigger game to pull through than that?”

More than half of Eastview’s 62 points came on 33 made free throws, a fact not lost on Eden Prairie coach Chris Carr. He scanned the game’s final statistical sheet in disbelief.

“Forty-four free-throw attempts in a high school game,” said Carr, whose Eagles made 12 of their 16 free-throw attempts. “I mean, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant aren’t playing. My goodness. That’s just crazy.”

The Eagles were led by a game-high 22 points from Emma Boehm.

First report

Eastview advanced to Saturday's Class 4A championship game, prevailing 62-51 over Eden Prairie on Thursday in a game in which star guard Madison Guebert was held scoreless in the first half.

The Lightning still managed a six-point lead at halftime at Williams Arena, but the Eagles battled back to tie the game at 33-33 with just under 12 minutes remaining in the second half. Eastview survived, however, and made key free throws late to seal the victory.

Check back later for more on the game.


Photo gallery: Eastview 62, Eden Prairie 51