EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated at 6:57 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. For more on today's 3A state games in Prescott Valley, scroll down for updates.

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Fernando Vazquez Lima scored 19 points, including two big 3-pointers during a fourth-quarter run to send No. 3-seeded Yuma Catholic to the 3A state semifinals with a 63-46 win over Northwest Christian on Tuesday night.

It is the 16th straight win for the Shamrocks (19-4, 13-0 3A West), which used a 29-12 second-half run capped by a Vazquez Lima 3-pointer he banked in as the shot clock expired with 3:28 left in the game to put his team up 54-40 and Northwest Christian couldn't recover.

"We stayed calm, poised and listed to coach. We just listed to coach. We were down at halftime, and we stayed poised. Cool, calm and collected," Vazquez Lima said. "We did what we had to do to get the win."

Yuma Catholic trailed 28-23 at halftime.

The Shamrocks will play No. 2-seeded Gilbert Christian on Friday in the 3A state semifinals at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, and Vazquez Lima said his team needs to "stay together, as a family" to come out on top next weekend.

"We need to execute and play with a lot of energy, outhustle them so we can get the win," Vazquez Lima said.

Sebi Patane scored 17 points on three 3-pointers for Yuma Catholic, which last won a state championship in 2016.

Marshall Gillette led Northwest Christian (18-5, 12-1 3A North Central) with 20 points in the loss.

#2 GILBERT CHRISTIAN 84, #7 SNOWFLAKE 64

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Keon Talgo scored 21 points on four 3-pointers, Lopemi Omole added 19 and No. 2-seeded Gilbert Christian is heading to the 3A state semifinals with an 84-64 win over Snowflake on Tuesday afternoon.

Talgo said that coach Jason Pasquariello preaches James 1:6.

"It basically states, no doubts. When we lost here last year, we always had this reminder in our minds that we're going to come back and we're going to go to the Final Four and play in the Valley," Talgo said. "We had this in our mind and we executed every play. It's such a great joy to win."

It is the 10th victory in the past 11 games for the Knights (22-5, 10-2 3A South Central), which lost 63-43 to Valley Christian in the Findlay Toyota Center a season ago.

Now in the very same building, Gilbert Christian is celebrating.

The Knights hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and led 27-21, but Kamari Stanbury hit three 3-pointers of his own to help his club outscore Snowflake 23-8 before halftime, and the Lobos never recovered.

Carson Lewis led the Lobos (18-10, 6-4 3A East) with 15 points.

#5 ALA-IRONWOOD 72, #20 THATCHER 60

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Jackson Chapman had 21 points, 14 of which he scored in the second half, and No. 5-seeded ALA-Ironwood is heading to its second straight Final Four with a 72-60 win over Thatcher on Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors (16-9, 7-5 3A South Central) jumped out to an 18-9 lead in the first quarter thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Noah Adkins and Thatcher never recovered.

Chad Coplin added 17 in the win for the Warriors.

ALA-Ironwood head coach Nicholas Hamberg said he warned his club all week that Thatcher is a hot club right now, having won 9 of 10 games coming into Tuesday's affair at Findlay Toyota Center.

"Thatcher, they've been playing really good over the past few weeks. We knew they were coming in hot. So we couldn't let up for a second," Hamberg said. "Thatcher is very hungry, and they play like that. We knew if we didn't bring it, it was going to be a tough night."

And now with a pending matchup against No. 1-ranked and two-time defending 3A state champ Valley Christian on Friday at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, the Warriors will need to stay focused this week, Hamberg said.

"It's going to be a tall order, but we're up to the challenge. As a coach, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best," Hamberg said.

Senior Christian Carter had a career game for Thatcher (20-7, 6-4 3A South), scoring 34 points on seven 3-pointers, but he couldn't get his club over the hump. His last 3 came as time expired to complete a 21-point fourth quarter, and was seen tearing up as teammates embraced him while walking off the floor.

#1 VALLEY CHRISTIAN 92, #24 SABINO 60

PRESCOTT VALLEY — Luke Shaw scored 27 points, Austin Wallace added 19 and No. 1-seeded Valley Christian made quick work of Cinderella-hopeful Sabino with a 92-60 win Tuesday afternoon.

It is the 14th straight win for the two-time defending 3A state champion Trojans (27-2, 12-0 3A South Central), which are searching for a three-peat for the first time in school history.

"Today was an awesome team win. Our goal in this tournament is to come out and get a running clock, and we succeeded in that game," Shaw said. "Shout out to Sabino, they gave us a tough fight. They are a good team and are well coached. We just came out on top by playing team ball."

In the first half, Shaw became Valley Christian's all-time leading scorer with a bucket at the 1:38 mark in the second quarter, surpassing Nat Van Weelden's (2004-08) 1,393 points.

"It's an awesome feeling," Shaw said. "The award sucks, though. More than have of those points were assisted, or a rebound, or a play call from coaches. So really, all their names should be on that award. I'm really grateful for God giving me the opportunity at this school."

The senior now has 1,411 heading into the 3A state semifinals next week at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

Valley Christian has eight total state championships, including the last two. Only 11 schools have eight or more in Arizona high school basketball history.

Spencer Larson led the Sabercats (13-15, 7-4 3A South) with 22 points. At No. 24, Sabino upset No. 9 Coolidge 67-57 in the first round, then shocked No. 8 Chinle at home, 67-55, to advance to the Elite 8 at the Findlay Toyota Center.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.