TACOMA – When the opposing team has a 6-foot-6 center, that makes it hard to score inside.

So the Arlington girls resorted to 3-pointers, and it paid off as they beat West Seattle 41-40 at the Tacoma Dome Saturday morning to place fourth in the state 3A basketball tournament.

With the game tied 29-29 with 4:49 left, Sarafina Balderas made a 3-pointer to give the Lady Eagles the lead for good. She and Jayla Russ added 3-pointers later to expand the lead. When Gracie Castanada made a bucket and added a free throw, Arlington led 39-33 with 1:41 left, and they held on to win.

A Sarah Short field goal after a steal gave Arlington a 10-7 lead in the defensive battle, but the Lady Eagles went on a three-minute scoring drought to trail 14-13 at the end of one. Castanada’s 3-pointer gave them the lead back at 18-14, but they didn’t score again for eight minutes, trailing 21-18 at halftime before Russ’s and Balderas’s 3-pointers made helped them to within 26-24 after three periods.

Russ led Arlington with 12 points, Balderas added 10 and Castanada had nine points and led with six rebounds. Standout Jessica Ludwig did not score.

The Warriors’ Lydia Giomi, a junior center, had 12 points and 13 rebounds, but only made 4 of 13 shots. Emily Fiso led with 16 points.

West Seattle lost the game at the free throw line, making just 8 of 20. Neither team shot well from the field, Arlington making 5 of 17 shots for 34 percent, while the Warriors connected on just 10 of 42, for 26 percent. The difference in the game was at the 3-point line, as Arlington made nine and West Seattle 4. The Warriors had more rebounds, 47-37; steals, nine to three; assists, eight to two; and fewer turnovers, 20-13.

West Seattle finished sixth in the tourney.