Declan Zweygardt goes up for a shot Saturday against Days Creek. The Panthers won 54-52 to advance to the next round of the state tournament.

The Prairie City boys basketball team pulled out a narrow 54-52 victory over Days Creek in the first round of the state tournament.

The Panthers, just as they have done in the past, were able to buckle down late in the game and make the right plays, make the right runs, and get the necessary stops to emerge victoriously.

“Basketball is a game of runs, and we went on a couple of runs that made the difference tonight,” head coach Bo Workman said. “They played tough and they came through tonight.”

Senior Lucas McKinley said the defense made a huge difference in the game.

“We stayed on their shooters,” he said.

Indeed, the Panthers did stop their shooters, holding the Wolves to just five points in the second period.

With a late run by the Wolves in the fourth quarter, nearly costing the Panthers the game, a 3-point jumper by McKinley and field goals by senior Cole Deiter and sophomore Marcus Judd allowed the Panthers to escape with the win.

“We had the heart and the determination to win in the end,” Deiter said. “We have all been playing together for years and we have great team chemistry.”

Junior Jojari Field said the Panthers knew Days Creek would be a challenge.

“We knew it was going to be a fight to the finish,” he said.

Workman said the teams from here on out will be harder and harder to beat.

“They (opposing teams) will just keep getting better and better,” he said.

Deiter, Judd and McKinley combined for 45 points in the win.

Next up, the Panthers will move on to the quarterfinals of the state tournament and face Crosshill Christian in Baker City on March. 5. Tip off is at 6:30 p.m.