The first half between Columbia Heights and Mahtomedi in the Class 3A, Section 4 championship game on Thursday was close until guard Deundra Roberson brought the Hylanders crowd to its feet with a breakaway dunk.

The momentum-changing score gave Columbia Heights a one-point lead it never gave up en route to a 70-62 victory that sealed a state championship berth.

“All of his dunks are electric, so it gave us big energy,” Columbia Heights senior guard Quentin Hardrict said.

Columbia Heights (20-6) carried its momentum to the second half, opening with an aggressive full-court press. Mahtomedi (22-7) turned the ball over several times early and the Hylanders went on a 7-2 run.

Hardrict embodied Columbia Heights’ frenetic pace. The senior guard regularly wove to the basket on offense, found teammates for baskets and pressured the Zephyrs guards with his defense. He finished with 16 points while Roberson had a team-high 19.

“Quentin is the little engine for us that makes things go well,” Columbia Heights coach Willie Braziel said. “He does such an excellent job with the ball.”

Every time the Hylanders looked poised to pull away, however, Mahtomedi ratcheted up the pressure and responded. Timmy Lindquist, Jack Shay and Karmoga Lero each scored 14 points to lead the Zephyrs.

Heading into the state tournament, Braziel is preparing his team to still play with high energy but be more under control.

“We’re a quick team, but we can also be somewhat too fast,” Braziel said. “It worked against us. We were making turnovers; we were making poor decisions with the ball.''

The first half of the Class 3A, Section 4 final between Columbia Heights and Mahtomedi was close until guard Deundra Roberson brought the Hylanders crowd to its feet with a breakaway dunk.

The momentum-changing score gave Columbia Heights a one-point halftime lead that the Hylanders never gave up en route to a 70-62 victory on Thursday at St. Paul Washington High School that sealed a state championship berth.

Columbia Heights (20-6) carried its momentum to the second half, opening with an aggressive full-court press. Mahtomedi (22-7) turned the ball over several times and the Hylanders went on a 7-2 run.

Quentin Hardrict embodied Columbia Heights’ frenetic pace. The senior guard regularly weaved to the basket on offense, found teammates for baskets and pressured the Mahtomedi guards with his defense. Hardrict made two free throws with less than a minute left to extend the Hylanders' lead to five points. 

Check back later for more on the game.