Samantha Workman gets back on defense Tuesday in the Lady Panthers first-round 42-40 win in the state tournament. Workman scored 9 points in the contest.

Editor’s note: This game occurred after the Blue Mountain Eagle went to press for the Wednesday print edition.

After trailing Chiloquin for a good part of the evening the Prairie City girls basketball team forced a 42-40 victory to advance to the next round of the state tournament. 

The Lady Panthers, who were outscored by the Queens 14-6 in the second quarter surged in the third quarter and knotted the score up to 31 apiece.

In the final period of play the girls team put up 10 points to the Queens’ six to edge out the win.

Betty Ann Wilson scored a team-high 21 points on nine field goals while seniors Emily Ennis, Rilee Emmel, and juniors Samantha Workman Abbey Pfefferkorn combined for 19 points.

For the Lady Panthers, who have not been to state since 2013, the win was pretty special.

“This has been real exciting season,” head coach Bo Workman said. “We feel like a real family and that’s what makes great teams.”

Assistant coach Jeremy LaFramboise said that the team knows that regardless of the outcome they know they are loved.

“I think that really made the difference tonight because they went out and played loose and made their shots in a high-pressure situation,” LaFramboise said.

Senior Emily Ennis said the coaches told them at halftime, when they were down by seven points, that it was now or never.

“We got off to a rough start, but in the end we pulled it out,” Ennis said.

The Lady Panthers will find out who they play after the first round of the tournament is complete.