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Late run propels Grady

The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE — It came down to the final minutes of the game before Grady knew it would be advancing to the semifinals of the Class A Girls State Tournament.

Grady broke a 33-33 tie with 3:50 minutes left on a pair of free throws from Taris Pond. Grady went on to score the next eight points to seal a 41-33 win over Cliff in the first round Tuesday.

Grady (23-7) will play Fort Sumner on Thursday in the semifinals. Cliff finishes at 22-6.

Grady and Cliff were tied at several points during the game. But it was Grady’s defense in the last quarter that helped fend off Cliff, which missed key lay-ups and free throws in the final minutes that would have kept the game close.

Grady was led by Jennifer Blackburn’s 21 points. She had three 3-pointers and one 3-point play. Tristen Finch led Cliff with 16 points.