FLORENCE - The seventh-ranked Siuslaw Vikings didn't get outplayed in their postseason opener Friday - just outscored.

Drew Holden scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough to hold off upset-savy La Salle, which advanced to the Class 4A state tournament with a 46-42 win in Florence.

The Cinderella magic continues for the Falcons (16-11), who notched their third-straight victory with the season on the line.

“We finally started believing in ourselves late in the season and said, ‘No more excuses,'” La Salle coach Earl Clark said afterward. “We knew we belonged at state - we just had to go out there and earn it.”

The Falcons made the most of a regular season filled with ups and downs by grabbing the Capital League's No. 3 seed last week in a playoff game with Estacada. From there, La Salle stunned Sweet Home on the road 61-46, then followed with Friday's victory - a crowning achievement to Clark.

“They made it click. They made it happen tonight,” he said. “They came together and played to their potential.”

La Salle trailed by as many as six in the second half after Holden drained an outside jumper to put Siuslaw ahead 26-20 early in the third quarter. Falcons guard Ryan Soberanis answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 5:55 remaining, then added another a minute later to keep the Falcons within three. Soberanis capped a brilliant quarter with his third trey in the closing seconds, trimming Siuslaw's lead to 32-30 heading into the final period.

“I felt good. The ball just kept going down - I was feeling it outside,” said Soberanis, who led his team with 15 points. “We stuck to the game plan and never lost focus out there.”

That may have been difficult for the 5-foot-9 junior, who started the night 1-for-7 from the floor.

“I wasn't going to end the season like that if we lost. I had more in me,” he added.

Most of his teammates felt the same way going into the final eight minutes. Cameron Brown, a 6-foot-6 forward, was held to two shots and zero rebounds in the first half but played like the cornerstone he's been all season for La Salle in the closing minutes. The senior made 3 of 4 field goals in the second half and completed a three-point play with 5:10 left in the game to give the Falcons a 35-34 lead. From there, the Vikings had a brief lapse on offense, turning the ball over on four consecutive possessions, which turned into five points and a 40-37 lead for La Salle.

“We played a great game but had a few spells that were costly,” said Siuslaw coach Dan Gray. “Turnovers killed us tonight. It was a tough way to end the season.”

The Vikings committed 19 turnovers in the game, including five in the fourth quarter. Jordan Rainwater stopped the bleeding with 2:10 remaining after he picked Brown's pocket and converted an easy layin. The steal-and-score put the capacity crowd into a frenzy, but Soberanis tuned it down with a mid-range jumper on La Salle's ensuing possession.

“Every time we felt like we we're getting control back, they'd respond,” said Holden, who was named the league's co-player of the year along with Rainwater. “It was a great game, and they just had a few bounces go their way. They made plays when they needed them.”

Holden shot 7-for-13 on the night, including a 5-for-7 effort in the second half. He knotted the score at 42 with 1:08 left on an isolation drive to the net. La Salle took the lead for good in transition as Brown posted up in the key, turned and nailed a hook shot over two defenders. It was two of Brown's 14 points on the night and provided the clincher.

“When you play against a good team like that, stuff like this happens,” said Siuslaw's 6-foot-4 post Max Perry. “We didn't get outplayed. It just went their way tonight.”

Perry ended with six points and four rebounds. Rainwater, Trevor May and Bryce Siegel all had four points for the Vikings (17-5). Rainwater also had four assists and four steals. Josh Richer, who shot a chilly 0-for-9 from the field, had a chance to tie the game with eight seconds remaining, but drew iron on a well-defended layup. The Falcons came away with a jump ball, and Soberanis iced the win with two free throws. Two second later, the La Salle crowd stormed the court.

“It was an emotional night for these guys,” Clark said. “I'm proud of them. We feel like we can win anywhere right now.”

The Falcons led by as many as eight in the first half after opening the second quarter with an 8-1 scoring run. Holden poured in four points to help the Vikings tie it at 20.

Willie Novak and Grant Powell came off the bench to net five points for La Salle, which advances to play Baker in the quarterfinals at the state tournament on Wednesday. Baker upset top-ranked Hidden Valley 32-29 on Friday.

Bruins edge La Grande

Brookings-Harbor gave the Far West Leauge one team at the state tournament by beating visiting La Grande 57-52 in double overtime on Friday.

The Bruins hit 9 of 12 free throws in the second overtime to pull away.

Jason Bay and Garrett Long had 12 points each and Chase Bansemer added 10 for the Bruins, who beat North Bend to earn the league's No. 2 seed to the state playofffs. The Bruins play Tillamook in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. The Cheesemakers beat Philomath 32-28 in another Friday game.

Tim Hall had 19 points and Taylor Evans 16 for La Grande.