Exiting a state basketball tournament on Friday leaves teams aching for the trophy they were one day away from and bemoaning the opportunity lost.

Granger’s boys were no exception as they dejectedly filed through the SunDome at the end of Friday’s consolation round, but these Spartans are so remarkably young — two starters can’t even drive yet — that it seems certain the trophies will one day come.

Inconsistent offense and mounting foul trouble cost Granger a chance at giving third-ranked Connell a serious run in the loser-out contest, and the Eagles prevailed 55-46 to secure the program’s first trophy in 12 years.

Granger’s RJ Solis, the team’s lone senior, hit three of his five 3-pointers in the final 2:28, but Connell got to the foul line 24 times in the final period to preserve a lead that was established with a 10-0 start to the second half.

“Connell is big and athletic — a very good team. There’s no shame losing to a team of that caliber,” said Granger coach David Gibb. “We were too inconsistent on offense, and that’s to be expected of an inexperienced team at state. But I’m proud of these kids for the way they kept playing so hard.”

Connell, which held on to beat Granger in the district semifinals 66-64 two weeks ago, got exactly what it needed with that 10-0 run to begin the third quarter. Not only did it push a tight game into a double-digit margin but the Spartans were whistled for eight of the first nine fouls in the second half.

That got the Eagles into the double bonus before the fourth quarter and while they didn’t light it up from the foul line they did make 21 of 36 for the game.

“We knew this could be a dog fight,” said Connell coach Jim Colclasure, whose team got beat in Thursday’s quarterfinals on a last-second 3-pointer. “Our kids had their hearts broken last night and I knew it would be hard to bounce back. Granger is undersized and young, but they play with a lot of heart and they come to compete.”

The Spartans tried desperately to find their long-distance range and while they connected on seven 3-pointers it took 27 attempts to get those 21 points.

Solis, who scored a season-high 31 points in the district loss to Connell, finished his final game with 17 points and 1,204 for his career.

“Solis made seven 3-pointers in that (district) game and he made some of the most unbelievable shots I’ve ever seen,” Colclasure noted. “To keep him to 17 was a big deal for us because he’s so tough to contain.”

Junior Benjamin Villa collected eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Mychal Lopez grabbed eight rebounds.

“Young as we are, these kids know they’re part of a building process,” said Gibb, whose team finished 15-12. “For them to get to state and get a nice win (an opening-round victory over Lake Roosevelt), that’s all great experience for next season. We have a lot to be proud of.”

Brett Clyde, one of six seniors for Connell, scored six of his game-high 22 points during the decisive 10-0 run to start the second half. The Eagles (22-4) will play Brewster (18-11) Saturday at noon for fourth and seventh place.