PRESCOTT — With Middle Border Conference rival girls basketball squads Prescott and Ellsworth meeting on the river, it was the Cardinals that took flight first, soaring to a 21-4 lead in the opening 10 minutes.

“We’ve been really pushing ways for the girls to find open lanes, whether that’s in transition… or just actually settling and running 20 to 30 seconds off the clock,” Head Coach Owen Hamilton said.

Prescott carried the strong lead into the half at 44-23 before the Panthers started to carve into it.  Senior Nora Boles went on a heck of a run to close the half, capping it with two corner threes in the final minute, including one at the halftime horn, to head into the locker room with 14.

“Unbelievable. That first half run she had to end it was incredible. Some of the best basketball I’ve seen her play,” Hamilton said. “That’s the Nora Boles that I’ve been talking about, telling people about.”

Hamilton said Boles is an all-conference caliber player that alters games on offense, defense and rebounding, so it is good for her to see her own capabilities.

For Boles, it was not about any particular scheme, she just played with heart and a clear mind.

“It was the flow. Got the flow, and I feel like my teammates were being really supportive,” Boles said. “It’s just love for the game.”

They inched and inched all the way to a 56-49 deficit with seven minutes still left to play. That would be as close as the Panthers could pull it, ending with a 69-59 final in Prescott’s favor.

Prescott’s first three games all ended within five points, which helped the players mentally when Ellsworth crawled back.

“They’re throwing their punch now, they’re trying to go for all or nothing. Now is our turn to maybe give ourselves a break for defense,” Hamilton said. “It was great to have those experiences from the past games.”

Hamilton said the Cardinals got a little complacent early in the second half before finding their mental game again. He also credited Ellsworth for making adjustments and hitting shots.

Prescott’ first three games were all within five points, making the Cardinals no stranger to a close game.

“It helped us know that you can’t let up, and keep having intensity,” Boles said of previous close games.

When Ellsworth took its run, Hamilton emphasized dribbling out the clock on offense to give the players a chance to breathe for the defensive end.

“Taking things that we do very well in those games and implementing them into the games that are upcoming,” senior Violet Otto said.

Otto led Prescott with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Boles followed with 16 points and eight rebounds. Junior Delaney Nelson finished with a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double.

“Nora has been so fun to play with. We’ve been playing together since PCR [youth traveling] ball, so it’s really fun seeing her grow,” Otto said.

Otto joked that Boles did not enjoy the transition into becoming a post player, but worked hard and is now thriving as one of the conference’s best.

For Ellsworth, senior Lexi Marks had one of the best games of her high school years, scoring 30. Freshman Tate Huppert tacked on 16, all coming in the second half.

Regardless of how it goes down, winning the rivalry feels good every time. Both squads know you only play in so many rivalry games, so it is important to make them count.

“It feels good every time,” Hamilton said. “It’s always special to see the fire that comes out… We did a great job of putting on a pretty good show for that rivalry.”