Tucson, AZ — No. 6 Tucson High turned a slow start into a statement finish Wednesday night, erupting in the second half to defeat No. 13 Glendale Apollo 89-64 and punch its ticket to the 6A state quarterfinals. Apollo came out swinging, jumping to a 14-4 lead and controlling the early tempo. Senior Malaki Cunningham Hiadzi sparked the Badgers’ response with eight first-quarter points, but a late 3-pointer from Apollo’s Victor Vu helped the Hawks take a 22-17 lead into the second. The visitors kept applying pressure in the second quarter, forcing turnovers and stretching the lead to double digits. Even when Tucson threatened, Apollo answered. A buzzer-beating jumper from Emmanuel Angok sent the Hawks into halftime with a 42-35 advantage — and the home crowd restless. But inside the Tucson locker room, there was no panic. “We were telling each other we’ve been doing this for too long — this can’t be our last one, not at home,” senior Patrick Flores said. The message stuck. Tucson exploded out of the break with a 12-0 run, flipping the momentum in a matter of minutes. Flores caught fire from deep, drilling three 3-pointers that ignited the gym and gave the Badgers a 60-54 lead heading into the fourth. “We can’t do it without them; we need them,” Flores said of the roaring crowd. From there, Tucson slammed the door. The Badgers clamped down defensively, forced turnovers, dominated the glass, and imposed their will. Flores and Cunningham Hiadzi took over offensively, combining for 51 points as Tucson pulled away in emphatic fashion. Cunningham Hiadzi led all scorers with 26, while Flores poured in 25 in a season-defining performance. Now the Badgers shift their focus on the road, traveling to No. 3 Chandler for a quarterfinal showdown Friday night at 7 p.m. One thing is clear: Tucson High isn’t done yet.