Tyus Jones lay on the court after missing an acrobatic layup, not injured but very much in pain.

The biggest reason his Apple Valley Eagles had reached the Class 4A, Section 3 championship game, Jones had two last-second chances to send his team to the state tournament. The sophomore phenom missed them both.

Height trumped speed Friday night, when the Eastview Lightning advanced to the state tournament by way of a 57-53 victory over conference rival Apple Valley.

"I'm just so excited for these kids," Eastview coach Mark Gerber said as he looked ahead to the state tournament. "Twelve months ago they sat in a classroom and talked about committing themselves for the next 12 months. It was great to see everyone play a part, everyone working together."

Jones was matched point-for-point by Eastview's Joey King, each scoring 20 points. Jordan Bolger scored 14 for the Lightning, and Ben Oberfeld scored 11.

These teams have met three times this season, and three times Eastview's dominant post play defeated the Eagles' court-shrinking fast-break offense.

The over capacity-crowd at Burnsville High School witnessed a slow start. Both teams struggled in a low-scoring first half that included nearly as many turnovers as points. The second half brought fireworks, though, as Eastview slowed its offense and slugged to a 12-point lead.

"Once the kids found their way and found their rhythm," Gerber said, "we had a big run in the second half."

The Eagles took advantage of Eastview's missed free throws to claw back. Apple Valley's Chris Laymon drilled a long ball to trim the deficit to two points, but the Lightning was able to keep its lead alive for the final seconds.

With the win, Eastview qualified for a berth in next week's state tournament.

"It's going to be a great field," Gerber said. "We are very fortunate to be there."