EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was updated at 12:26 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, to reflect a change in the 3A boys state tournament bracket.

PHOENIX — Trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter, Palo Verde got some much-needed heroics from Rashad Ortiz as he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the No. 1-seeded Titans to the 3A state finals with a 52-49 win over Seton Catholic on Friday morning.

It was Ortiz’s only attempt from beyond the arc on the morning, but as he stood with his right hand held high from the corner at Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum on Friday with all the confidence in the world, and when the ball dropped through the net, he was mobbed by his teammates in an exhilarating finish.

The Titans (22-6, 7-1 3A South) now face either No. 10-seeded Snowflake or No. 3-seeded Coolidge in the 3A state final after a Pinal County judge issued a temporary restraining order in favor of Coolidge High School being reinstated into the postseason bracket.

Snowflake and Coolidge face eachother Saturday, Feb. 28, at 3:45 p.m. The 3A state finals date and time has yet to be announced.

Seton Catholic (25-7, 7-3 3A Central) led by as many as 14 points with 3:39 to play in the third quarter, but were outscored 17-4 in the final period by the Titans who seem destined to win it all.

Ortiz was 7 of 13 from the field on the game, including the only 3-pointer Palo Verde hit all morning (1-3).

For the Sentinels, K.J. Fauske was 8 for 15 from the field with 19 points, while Ryan Morris scored nine points and had five assists in the loss.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.