Malachi Patton free throws to lift Prairie to win over Camas

It might only be the holiday season, but Thursday’s non-league boys basketball game between Camas and Prairie had late-February madness written on it.

Especially the ending when Prairie junior Malachi Patton hit two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to break a tie that led to Prairie’s 60-58 victory over visiting Camas at Prairie High School.

After Iowa-bound Ethan Harris’ potential game-winning 3-pointer fell short off a long inbounds pass, Prairie players raced to the boisterous Prairie student section as the clock expired.

After jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead, Prairie led all game until Harris’ top-of-the-key-3-pointer gave Camas its first lead at 55-54 with 3 minutes, 19 seconds to play. His 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds to go tied the game at 58-all, before Prairie’s final offensive possession that led to Patton getting fouled in the lane by Harris with 1.7 ticks on the clock.

Battling leg cramps the final 3 minutes of the game, Patton sank both free throws.

“It felt crazy. It really felt like I was in a movie — and then the gym exploding once I made them,” said Patton, who finished with eight points.

Carson Morningstar led Prairie with 16 points and Payton Poppe added 15. Harris had a game-high 30 points for Camas.

WASHOUGAL 75, HUDSON’S BAY 34 — Dylan Gibson scored 19 points and Coleman Multanen scored 13 points to lead a balanced attack for the Panthers.