Prescott got into a playoff classic coming out of a bye, taking on a Northwestern team they beat 45-44 earlier in the year. With 31 points from junior Violet Otto, Prescott held their ground for most of the game to win 51-42 Friday. Returning to the court for the Regional final Saturday, Prescott ran into co-Middle Border Conference champion Baldwin-Woodville and was no match, falling 52-26 to end their season.

Whether it was not being warmed up because of the bye in the opening round or another factor, the Cardinals did not get the start they hoped for against Northwestern, trailing 13-5 at the 10-minute mark of the first half. Otto took matters into her own hands with her second and third threes of the day and Leah French got a tough bucket to go and just like that, Prescott only trailed 19-15 with 5:30 to play in the half. A three from Nora Boles and a basket on a cut from Izzy Thoen got Northwestern’s lead down to 22-20 at the half.

Otto instantly drilled a three out of the half and began to completely take over the game offensively. They took control 36-29 with 8:41 to play and would not look back.

“Against Northwestern we just really took care of business,” Head Coach Owen Hamilton said. “We really took care of the areas that they were going to try to exploit from our team.”

Hamilton shouted out a six-point, nine-rebound and six-assist performance from French to help spark the win in all phases.

Baldwin-Woodville cruised past Prescott twice in the regular season, beating the Cardinals 62-25 Jan. 17 and 48-32 Feb. 21. It is a tough matchup for Prescott, and they could not quite pounce like they do when they are at their best.

“It’s a bummer,” Hamilton said. “At the end every year, you take a look back, you look at that last game and say what could you do, what could you do?” Hamilton said. “Honestly, for me, the dust hasn’t even really settled on that yet.”

Hamilton cited turnovers and missed opportunities as a pair of the reasons they lost, mentioning that Baldwin-Woodville is a great team that takes near perfection to beat.

It was a successful season for Prescott, finishing fourth in the Middle Border Conference with a 7-7 record. Part of this success was due to a senior class with many contributors who played their roles to perfection. Rory Zuehlsdorf, Jeanne Rohl, Ashley Keller, Leah French and Ellie Block will depart from the team, but their impact will forever be felt. The class has been a part of four Regional finals and made a trip to Sectionals back in 2022.

“They mean everything. They kind of came in at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty in the program just with coaching changes and all sorts of stuff,” Hamilton said. “For me, they mean everything for setting the tone for what we’re building for, for what we’ve been building for. Sticking it out through all of that is a testament to all of them.”

There is also a lot to be excited about ahead of the coming season, with a lot of talent ready to take the court again.

“The easy answer is that when you’ve got Violet Otto you’ve got the best player in the conference, arguably one of the best players on this side of the state,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton is bringing back three starters and a lot of players who were one step away from being ready for the big stage, all the more reason for the team and fans to feel energized.