In the end Tuesday night, the bigger run won.

Red Mountain's girls basketball team used a 19-0 run over a nearly 10-minute stretch late in the first half through most of the third period to crank out a 57-53 victory over Hamilton in a Division I, Section II first-round game at Mesquite High School.

Red Mountain (20-7) turned a 31-21 deficit in the final 1:30 of the second period into a 40-31 advantage with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. That run and the dominance of  6-foot-4 senior center Shea Brown were the impetus to the win. Brown scored a season- and career-high 29 points. Add an assist from guard Gabi Alonzo (15 points) andher  two free throws that cinched the outcome with 6.4 seconds left and Red Mountain moves to the semifinals. Brown and Alonzo combined for all 17 of Red Mountain's fourth-quarter points.

Red Mountain faces No. 1 section seed Chandler, which easily dispatched Cienega in its first-round game, 65-21.That game is a sectional semifinal on Thursday at 7:30 at Mesquite HS  Red Mountain entered the game 11th overall in the power-rankings and now has a shot to perhaps move into the top eight. That would secure the Mountain Lions a first-round bye at state and a home game.

 It's the second time in three weeks Red Mountain defeated Hamilton, which has now dropped three straight game. Hamilton is eliminated from the sectional and must wait until Saturday to find out where it will rest in the final power-rankings and who its first-round opponent will be.

"It was a game of runs, wasn't it," Red Mountain coach Martin Appel said. "We needed that stretch just before the half. We stopped turning the ball over, and stepped up the defense. We came out with the same intensity in the third quarter. When we don't turn it over a bunch, we're tough to beat."

Brown got the ball early inside and Hamilton had no answer, even if double teams or help arrived. It was a night when nothing would have stopped Brown, who toyed with defenders in the paint and was a menace on the offensive boards. Brown's worst quarter was the second when she only scored four points and got four shots. She scored 11 points in the first half and 18 in the second.

"She came out with a ton of energy," Appel said. "Very active. She was a huge difference maker."

Hamilton trailed 46-34 with 5:20 left in the game before making its first of two late runs. The Huskies started forcing turnovers again and scored seven points in a row to make it 46-41 with 3:42 left. Red Mountain countered with a 8-0 streak that seemed to have the outcome nailed down (54-41 with 1:20 left).

But Hamilton made another push behind Ashlee Moore and Cassidee Ranger, who keyed a 12-1 burst with steals, layups and threes. Ranger's putback with 10.2 seconds left brought the Huskies within 55-53.

Alonzo, who scored seven of her 15 points in the final period, calmly made both ends of a one-and-one with 6.4 seconds left for the final margin.

Lauren Evans, Ranger and Aliyah Dickson each scored 10 points for Hamilton.