The defensive presence of 6-foot-9 center Emiliano Barrantes and a strong offensive outing from Brayden Hoben kept Grand View Christian in the game against defending champion Western Christian during the Class 2A boys state basketball semifinals on Thursday.
But in the end, it Western Christian's clear edge in outside shooting that made the difference in a 53-46 Wolfpack victory over the Thunder at Wells Fargo Arena.
Western Christian breezed through last year's state tournament with wins by 22, 31 and 27 points en route to the 2A title, and the Wolfpack cruised to a 69-38 victory over Jesup during this year's state quarterfinals.