Coconino Boys Beat Prescott, Will Host 12th-Seeded Mesquite Saturday In The Second Round

The fourth-seeded Coconino Panthers advanced to the quarterfinals of the 4A Boys State Playoffs Wednesday with a 62-45 win against the 13th-seeded Prescott Badgers in the first round of the 4A Boys State Playoffs. The Panthers got out to a slow start, trailing the Badgers 26-23 at halftime. Head coach Mike Moran shook his team up a little bit at halftime and the Panthers caught fire. Coconino outscored Prescott 25-5 in the third quarter en route to the win. Jacob Begay led the Panthers with 25 points and Preston Olney added 13 in the win. Jason Parent led the Badgers with 23 points. The Panthers will host the 12-seeded Mesquite Wildcats Saturday. Mesquite upset the fifth-seeded Pueblo Warriors in Tucson Wednesday 66-63. The winner of Saturday’s game will get the winner of top-seeded St. Mary’s and ninth-seeded Bradshaw Mountain, who beat eighth-seeded Estrella Foothills in overtime 54-42. Saturday’s tip time from Coconino High School is at 7 p.m.