JOHN DAY — The Prairie City/Burnt River girls ground out a gritty 31-22 win over Four Rivers on Thursday, Feb. 15, to advance to the second round of the High Desert League 1A basketball tournament at Grant Union High School.

Both teams struggled early in a turnover-marred first half that ended with the host Lady Panthers holding a 14-6 lead.

Matters heated up in the second half as both teams came out strong. The Four Rivers Lady Falcons battled back to knot the score at 14-all at the 5:17 mark of the third quarter, then pulled ahead 17-14 on a three-point bucket with 1:46 left in the period.

But a technical foul was called on the Four Rivers coach, and after a pair of free throws and a long two-pointer, the Lady Panthers were back on top 18-17 going into the final frame.

The fourth period was hard-fought by both sides, but the Lady Panthers steadily built their lead to close out the game with the 31-22 victory.

Prairie City/Burnt River will face Jordan Valley in a semifinal matchup at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Grant Union High School.