Mountain View remembered how it played in the first half against Buena in December when it bolted to a 19-point advantage at intermission. Buena was hoping the Toros did not.

Fourth-seed Mountain View used an 18-2 edge in the opening period Thursday night  to put the top-seed Colts on their heels and went on to post  a 67-39 victory in the 5A-I boys basketball  semifinals at Jobing.com Arena.

Mountain View (26-3) advances to  face Brophy, a 96-72 winner over No. 2 seed Mesa in the earlier semi  Thursday. Tip-off for the game is for 8 p.m. at Jobing.com. Buena gunning for a title game appearance for the first time since 1970, closed its season 25-5. Mountain View will play in its first final since 2007, the last of what was a threepeat at the time.

Mountain View seniors Jaren Sweeney and Kyle Bingham got the Toros rolling, combining for 13 of the team's 18 points in the first period. Sweeney added two assists in the period and Bingham scored on a pair of putbacks and had three offensive rebounds in the stanza.

Sweeney stayed hot in the third period knocking down two more threes and scoring eight more points giving him18 for the game. Mountain View increased the lead to 27 heading to the final period.

"We had a much more consistent 32 minutes this time against them," Mountain  View coach Gary Ernst said. "I was concerned before the game. The good crowd they brought and how relaxed they looked in warmups. We finished up in this game much better than the first time."

The Toros were concerned with Buena's perimeter shooting, but ended up containing it if not shutting it down. Guards Devonte Malcolm, Marcus Mears and Kyani Dillard combined for just 16 points on 9-of-27 shooting. Buena's post player Merle Branch, led the Colts with 16 points.

As for Mountain View's opponent in the final, Brophy, Ernst was impressed with the Bronocs win over Mesa. Brophy and Mountain View did not play this season.

"They have good depth, rebound well and defend," Ernst said. "The key to the game may be rebounding."