Patient. Deliberate. Maybe even boring.

Call it what you want. Top-ranked Georgetown's slow pace is just the perfect speed to get the Eagles to the Class 4A state championship game.

Kaitlin Walla scored 17 points Thursday night and Georgetown held Northside Brennan scoreless in the third quarter, cruising to a methodical 44-30 win state semifinals.

After a sluggish first half sent the teams into the lockerroom tied at 13, Georgetown put the game away by scoring 18 in the third quarter. Walla opened the quarter with a basket and Haley Frias made a 3-pointer to spark the big run.

Northside Brennan finally broke its scoring drought when Ashlynn Graham made one of two free throws early in the fourth, Brennan's first points since the 4:32 mark in the second quarter.

Lorrie Santoy scored 11 points for Georgetown (33-4).

Tanaeya Boclair scored 14 for Brennan (30-9).

Georgetown played its deliberate half-court game that works so efficiently to force opponents to play at their speed. Every possession was a patient probe for an open shot or drew defenders into a foul. The slow pace even kept the large contingent of Georgetown fans mostly quiet after their short 30-mile drive to the game.

The methodical pace stifled any chance that Brennan could muster to turn the game into a back-and-forth contest. The Bears, playing in the school's first state tournament, simply couldn't match Georgetown's shot efficiency. Brennan was just 10 of 40 shooting and couldn't even make up ground from the free throw line, where they were 8 of 14.

Walla scored Georgetown's final six points of the first half. Georgetown picked apart the Brennan defense in the third, kicking the ball out to Frias for the long range shot or with Wallas' passes to Santoy in the post.

Georgetown put the game away for good when Walla scored scored four straight points and Haley Hunter closed the third with a basket and then followed it with a 3-point play for a 31-13 lead.