By Don Ketchum

“The Tonight Show starring Jahii Carson’’ had a lot of viewership on Thursday night as Jahii Carson, the marvelous senior guard from Mesa High, scored 58 points.

But it was Phoenix Brophy Prep that advanced to Friday’s Class 5A Division I state championship game with a 96-82 victory at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.

Brophy, the sixth seed, will have a chance to win the first basketball title in school history against No. 4 Mesa Mountain View, which defeated top seed Sierra Vista Buena later Thursday night. Title-game tipoff is 8 p.m.

Carson was 25 of 38 from the floor.

“We knew that he was going to get his points. He’s a great player. It was our goal to hold the other guys in check, and that’s what we did,’’ said Brophy forward James Harper, who scored 21 points along with guard Fred Gammage. Forward Sai Tummala had 17 points and 10 rebounds and forward Jordan Medl had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Brophy had a 44-18 advantage on the boards.

“We are looking to put the banner up,’’ Harper said. “It is the hardest game we will play all season, and we are going out expecting to play the best game we ever played.’’

Carson, bound for Arizona State, said he was focused, “but on the big stage like this, sometimes you can get nervous. Brophy is a tough team. They played us tough. I’m sure they watched film on us.’’

Carson fouled out with 1:35 on a charging call. He then was assessed a technical for tossing the ball at the referee. Mesa coach Shane Burcar was assessed a technical and ejected by the same official after saying he wanted an explanation on the Carson call.

Burcar maintained the calls were personal because of previous disagreements with the same official in previous games.

“You have to take your hats off to Brophy, though,’’ Burcar said. “They played a heck of a game. We played our worst game defensively all year. We couldn’t get the stops all night.’’