The Apache Junction High School Prospectors hosted the annual Lost Dutchman Tournament on Dec. 27. The Prospectors were looking for a couple extra gifts this holiday season as the basketball team was still in search of their first win.

The 6A Superior Panthers came in looking for what they thought was an easy win to begin the tournament. The Prospectors were showing no holiday cheer towards their opponent as a back-and-forth battle between the teams commenced.

The Prospectors took a 23-21 lead into halftime. But the Panthers closed the gap, and the game was tied heading into the final seconds of the game thanks to some great defense and a phenomenal block by the Prospectors’ Center, Dennis Church.

With only 5.6 seconds remaining, Jacob Glazener of the Prospectors was fouled, thus giving him a chance to put the game away with two free throws. The first shot came up just short, bouncing off the rim, but the final shot was perfect, winning the Prospectors the game, upsetting the Superior Panthers, 37-26.

With this win, the Prospectors faced off against the Desert Heights Prep Coyotes for the second round of the tournament. With this game, a new hero stepped up to the occasion for the Prospectors, as Small Forward Omar Adam put up the game of a lifetime. He notched 24 points including four three pointers, three rebounds, three assists and a steal, almost single-handedly leading his team to a 56-48 victory over Desert Heights.

Unfortunately for the Prospectors, their Cinderella run came to an end in the championship round of the tournament as they were unable to defeat the La Joya Community Fighting Lobos and lost 54-42.

Nonetheless, the Prospectors had a performance for the ages, stunning everyone in the tournament by making it to the final round.

Editor’s note: Isaac Robertson is a high school intern who currently covers sports writing for Apache Junction Unified School District. He is a senior at Mesa Virtual Campus, is to graduate this December, and plans to attend ASU with a major in sports journalism.