It had to a be a three-pointer.

Shakopee’s Kate Cordes hit a shot from just beyond the halfcourt line at the buzzer Friday to lift the Sabers to a 50-47 victory over Eden Prairie in the Class 4A, Section 2 championship game.

Cordes’ bomb brought feelings of déjà vu for many in attendance. The Sabers beat the Eagles in eerily similar circumstances four years ago, advancing to the state tournament on a last-second shot.

Watch the half-court game-winner here

“It helps when you have good shooters,” Shakopee coach Juan Mitchell said. “Both times, it was a good shooter who made it.”

Shooting, particularly of the long-range variety, was crucial to Shakopee’s victory. Eden Prairie, on its home court, jumped to a 13-2 lead and looked poised to run away from the Sabers.

“We were nervous,” Mitchell said. “We just had to calm down.”

Shakopee (26-3) was able to climb back into the game because it didn’t fall victim to Eden Prairie’s pressure defense and began firing away from beyond the three-point line.

The Sabers took their first lead, 22-21, at 6:52 of the first half on Jasmyn Hale’s three-pointer, Shakopee’s sixth of seven three-pointers made before halftime.

The Sabers maintained the lead, taking a 29-25 lead into the break.

“To be able to come back and lead at halftime was so cool,” Cordes said. “Everyone contributed.”

Shakopee’s defense rose up in the second half and helped the Sabers build an eight-point lead, 43-35, and take control of the game’s momentum.

“They made shots,” Eden Prairie coach Ellen Weise said. “And we missed shots we normally make.”

But there was a reason Eden Prairie (23-5) earned the No. 2 seed in the section. A three-point shooter of its own, Ashley Fritz, ignited a 10-2 run that tied the game with 1:54 left. Future Gopher Nia Holloway scored the final seven points in the run and finished with 20.

The teams traded clutch last minute baskets — Shakopee on a short shot by Maya Mitchell, Eden Prairie on a drive-and-runner by Myra Moorjani — setting up Cordes’ stunning game-winner.

“I’m in shock,” said Weise, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe it. They just kept making their shots. That’s a credit to them. ”

Cordes had hit three three-pointers in the first half, but her game-winner was her first after halftime. She finished with 14 points. Teammate Olivia Pawlicki also had 14 points and made four three-pointers. Shakopee hit 11 three-pointers overall.

Following the postgame awards ceremony, the Shakopee players lingered, cutting down the net. Cordes was in demand, recapping her game-clinching heroics.

“I never really thought in a million years that this would happen,” she said. “You play basketball for moments like this. It’s a dream. I don’t even have words for it.”