One good run deserved another.

But the clock on its season and bid to upset the No. 1 seed in the Division III boys basketball tournament ran out for Cortez High. Cortez’s rally from a 20-point deficit fell short Friday at Agua Fria, where Estrella Foothills clinched a 53-43 win and short bus trip to Glendale.

Up next for the team from Goodyear is Yuma Cibola on Thursday at Gila River Arena in the state quarterfinals.

Missed shots from Cortez and made free throws by its opponent culminated with the scoring cushion Estrella Foothills needed to escape with the win. Estrella Foothills' night began with poor shooting and not running the game plan, leading to a timeout to sort some things out.

“We knew their (Cortez) bread and butter is pressuring, and we had a game plan in how to deal with it. And we weren't executing it,"  Estrella Foothills coach Rich Gutwein said. "They needed to be reminded of that,”

Message received.

Gutwein's boys turned a 14-11 second period deficit into a 27-16 lead by halftime. Estrella Foothills’ big man, Rex Greabell, and smooth shooting swing man Antaveus Brown (13 points) did most of the damage just before halftime.

Greabell's (18 points) hot hand carried into the start of the third period to help push his team’s lead, 39-19. But Estrella Foothills then repeatedly turned the ball over.

Coupled with the tenaciousness of undersized Cortez, Cortez went on a 16-0 run. A three from No. 2, Alfredo Jiminez, trimmed the lead, 41-38, even more with 5:25 left in the game.

Jimenez scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth period for Cortez.

But in the end Estrella Foothills (27-3) hit 7 of 10 free throws to calm the nerves of its apprehensive fans.