A second-quarter struggle by Van Buren County's boys basketball team wound up being too much to overcome as Columbia Academy earned a 78-69 win in a TSSAA Class A state tournament quarterfinal Thursday night in Murfreesboro.
The Eagles (27-7), who were making their third straight trip to the state tournament, led by as much as nine in the first quarter at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center, but Columbia Academy (27-6) began the second quarter with eight straight points as part of an 18-4 run before halftime.
The lead remained in double figures until the final minute of the game as Columbia Academy connected on nine of 11 field goals in the third quarter.
Eagles junior Caden Mills led all scorers with 30 points and six rebounds, while Bo Walker added 15 and six.