Top-seeded Palo Verde did not allow a 10-point deficit to start the fourth quarter against No. 4 Chandler Seton Catholic Prep to get in the way of their quest to capture the school’s first state championship in boys basketball.
The Titans (22-6) rallied back all the way to Rashad Ortiz nailing a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Titans a 52-49 victory at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at Phoenix on Friday morning.
It was Ortiz’s only attempt from 3-point range. In fact, Palo Verde attempted only three shots from beyond the arc with Ortiz making the only one.
Palo Verde has only one 3-pointer in its last two games against Gilbert Christian and Seton Catholic — outscored 69-3 from that range — and was victorious in both games. The Titans attempted only one 3-pointer against Gilbert Christian.
They will face either No. 10 Snowflake or No. 3 Coolidge in the 3A state championship after a Pinal County judge issued a temporary restraining order in favor of Coolidge being reinstated into the semifinal round.
Snowflake and Coolidge will play Saturday at 3:45 p.m., when the championship game was originally scheduled. When Palo Verde will play the championship game has yet to be determined.
Palo Verde's Rashad Ortiz hits a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to send the No. 1-seeded Titans to the 3A state finals with a 52-49 win. #AzPreps365 pic.twitter.com/pidGZsRk0T
— Brian M. Bergner Jr. (@AzPreps365Brian) February 27, 2026
Seton Catholic (25-7) had a 14-point lead with 3:39 to play in the third quarter.
Palo Verde outscored the Sentinels 17-4 in the fourth quarter.
Ortiz scored nine of his 15 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in the last quarter.
Kameron Pippen had 11 of his 15 points in the first half.
Pippen and Kamaiu Ortiz (Rashad’s brother) each made two crucial free throws down the stretch.
Palo Verde post player Ethan Graves had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Kristian White finished with seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, three assists and no turnovers in 26 minutes.
K.J. Fauske was 8 for 15 from the field with 19 points, while Ryan Morris scored nine points and had five assists for Seton Catholic.
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