DENVER — An 18-0 run in the first half powered Kent Denver to the Final 4 of the girls basketball Class 4A state tournament Wednesday.

The Sun Devils trailed No. 6 D’Evelyn 9-6 with under 2 minutes to play in the first quarter. No. 3 Kent Denver proceeded to go on the run that eventually produced a 49-24 victory.

“We knew we had to do something about it,” Kent Denver senior Kaiya Okizaki said of the Sun Devils trailing in the first quarter. “We knew we had to get a run in. We knew that we wanted it more than the other team. We have come too far not to finish this now.”

The Jaguars finally scored midway through the second quarter to end the run, but not before Kent Denver held a 24-9 lead. The hole was too big for D’Evelyn (22-4 record) to climb back into the game.

It was D’Evelyn’s fifth consecutive trip to the Great 8. The Jaguars also have five straight 20-plus wins seasons under their belt.

D’Evelyn’s three regular-season losses this season all came against teams — Colorado Academy (4A), Green Mountain (5A) and Standley Lake (5A) — that were playing down at the Coliseum this week. CA made its third straight Great 8 appearance, while Green Mountain and Standley Lake take the court in the 5A state semifinals tomorrow (Thursday).

Kent Denver (19-7) will face No. 2 Timnath in the Final 4 on Friday, March 13, back at the Coliseum. The Cubs defeated Colorado Academy in the first game of the morning Wednesday by dominating the second half, outscoring CA 25-6 after halftime.

“After this game has proved that everyone can shoot and make shots,” Okizaki said. “After this game we are really confident.”

Kent Denver senior Austin Duncan led the way with a double-double (11 points and 13 rounds). Okizaki hadn’t scored double-digits in any game this season, but came off the bench for a season-high 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

“Recently, I haven’t been playing the way I know I can play,” Okizaki said. “I’m a senior and I really didn’t want this to be my last game where I would regret not doing anything. I put it all out there.”

Freshmen Elise Drogin-Tundermann (8 points) and London Barry (7 points and 8 steals) had solid games to put the Sun Devils into the Final 4 for the first time in over a decade.