Prairie City/Burnt River’s Eli Wright shoots over a Four Rivers defender during the third- and fourth-place game in the High Desert League tournament on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 at Grant Union High School.

JOHN DAY — On to state.

The Prairie City/Burnt River boys basketball team defeated Four Rivers in their last game of the High Desert League Basketball Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Grant Union High School.

The win leaves the Panthers, who lost 64-49 to Adrian in the semifinals, with a third-place district finish and a spot in the 1A state basketball tournament.

The Panthers got off to a fast start, going on a 12-2 run that included three-pointers from Doyal Lawrence and Cole Teel to open the game. The Panthers would end the first quarter with a 16-8 lead.

The Panthers scored the first five points of the second quarter, including a three-pointer by Wes Voigt, to lead 21-8. The Falcons would chip away at the Panther lead, drawing to within eight at 24-16 with 3:32 left in the half.

The Falcons would add a three to draw to within five at 24-19 with just over 3:00 left in the half. The Panthers would outscore the Falcons 6-2 for the remainder of the first half, taking a 30-21 lead into halftime.

The Falcons would score the first four points of the second half before Lawrence hit a field goal for the Panthers. The teams would trade field goals after the Lawrence score, with the Panthers ahead 34-27 with 2:52 left in the third.

The Panthers would take a 38-32 lead into the fourth quarter. A quick 10-0 run that included threes by Teel and Lawrence increased the Panther lead to 48-32, forcing a Falcon timeout.

The Falcons would mange just six points for the remainder of the game following that timeout, only scoring a single point throughout the final 3:30. That Falcon cold streak, coupled with consistent Panther scoring, sealed the outcome.

Up 59-38 with under :30 left, the Panthers moved the ball around the three-point line to run out the clock and lock up their third-place finish.

Lawrence was the high-point man for the Panthers in the game, scoring a whopping 21 points on the night. Voigt had a spectacular game in his own right, finishing the night with 17 points.

Teel and Eli Wright rounded out the top Panther scorers as both finished the game with seven points.

The win leaves the Panthers with a third-place finish in the High Desert League for 2022-23. The team currently sits at 18-9 with a 4-2 league record.

The next phase of the Panther season begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Merrill for a matchup with Lost River in the opening round of the OSAA 1A basketball tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.