3A state basketball: Prairie boys fall but are excited for future

TACOMA – It took the Prairie boys basketball team 10 years to find its way back to the 3A state tournament.

The Falcons don’t plan on being strangers.

Prairie’s season ended Wednesday with a 65-60 loss to Wilson at the Tacoma Dome.

But after reaching the state tournament for the first time since 2008, this year’s Falcons believe the program has been elevated.

“We raised the bar little by little each game until we got here,” senior Dante Heitschmidt said. “This is going the team to shoot for in the future.”

Prairie (20-7) will return Greater St. Helens League co-MVP Kameron Osborn, who scored 16 points Wednesday. The junior is excited for the future at Prairie.

“We’ve changed the mentality of this boys basketball program,” he said. “I think there’s a good possibility we could be back next year.”

Prairie had beaten Wilson of Tacoma 49-40 to place fifth in the bi-district tournament on Feb. 17.

But Wilson (21-6) overcame an eight-point halftime deficit by shooting 59 percent from the field in the second half. The Rams also shot 23 free throws in the second half, making 13. Prairie attempted four free throws the entire game.

“They’re big,” Heitschmidt said. “We didn’t rebound a whole lot down the stretch.”

Prairie scored the game’s first eight points. Logan Reed had two early baskets while helping an interior defense that forced Wilson to miss its first six field goals.

Prairie led 17-6, but Wilson would respond with a 13-2 run to pull even early in the second quarter.

Then Osborn started heating up. He scored eight points, including two 3-pointers, in a 13-3 run that gave Prairie a 34-26 halftime lead. Osborn had a game-high 14 points at halftime.

Wilson used a 10-0 run early in the third quarter to pull within 37-36. The game remained close, but some costly Prairie turnovers let Wilson opened a 59-53 lead with 3:46 to play.

Matt Kolger’s close-range basket pulled Prairie within 61-60 with 1:00 to play, but that would be the Falcons’ final points. Wilson would score on its next possession before clinching the game at the free throw line.

But despite the loss, Wednesday’s experience has Prairie wanting more.

“We know we want to be back,” Osborn said.

WILSON 65, PRAIRIE 60

PRAIRIE –  Dante Heitschmidt 16, Kameron Osborn 16, Braiden Broadbent 4, Zeke Dixson 9, Thomas Hapgood 0, Kaleb Locke 0, AJ Dixson 0, Logan Reed 6, Everett Buck 0, Matthew Kogler 9.  Totals 24 (7) 5-8 60.

WILSON –  Damani Green 17, Emmitt Matthews Jr. 18, Emani Mitchell 0, Daniel Santana 0, Nathaniel Stokes 12, Londrell Hamilton 11, Darrian Bates 4, Drew Bonds 0, Adam Maxon 0, Kiwanis Thomas 0, JT Holmes 0, Dominique Ellison 3.  Totals 24 (2) 15-26 65.

Prairie                        17        17        14        12—60

Wilson            10        16        18        21—65