NATCHEZ &045; Stevan Ridley knows he has trouble with free throws, so on Thursday he went to work.

He figures he shot at least 100, made about 25 and battled flu symptoms the whole time. But he tried to get better, hoping if he had the situation he was in Tuesday again he’d make the most of it.

A night later, still sick enough to be at home in bed, he had the opportunity again with seven seconds left and hit one of two. It was just enough as the Trinity Episcopal Saints took a 42-41 win over Prairie View to advance to the South State championship tonight.

&uot;Everybody knows free throws are my weakness, but I went out there and played hard,&uot; said Ridley, who finished with a game-high 15 points. &uot;I can’t say I’m all that confident, but one went in for sure. It was nothing (different), really. They were trash-talking, and I guess that had something to do with it. It was the same hard shot I have. I just have to keep working on it.&uot;

The second shot rimmed out, but this time the Saints couldn’t come up with the rebound. Prairie View had just enough time to get the ball past mid-court and at least set up a shot, and Josh Jones released one just before the buzzer sounded from inside the 3-point line that hit the front of the rim to give the Saints the win.

The Saints &045; the No. 4 team out of District 4 &045; now finds themselves in the championship at 7:15 p.m. today against powerhouse Brookhaven Academy at the ACCS Gym.

They’re also headed to the state tournament for the ninth straight year.

&uot;It’s going to be six great basketball players and a great basketball coach against six football players and a below-average football coach,&uot; Trinity head coach David King said. &uot;Of the eight years we’ve been in the South State, we’ve been in the championship seven of them. I’m trying to be modest, but we’ve won three and lost three. This is why our program seems to rise at this time of year.&uot;

The Saints had to fight in the second half to put the clamps on a Prairie View team that had beaten them twice during the regular season and had the lead the entire second half until Ridley came up big at the free throw line.

The Spartans led by eight at one point in the second quarter, but the Saints &045; like they did two nights ago against Adams Christian &045; found a way to get back in the game and come out on top at the end.

Credit the team’s efforts on defense and on the boards, but Ridley came up with a huge steal after Zach Rogel’s short jumper in the lane with 54 seconds left tied the game at 41. Prairie View’s Daniel Echols missed a jumper with 13 seconds left, but the Saints were called for traveling when Kris Ford came up with the rebound but fell to the floor.

Prairie View later inbounded the ball on the other end, and Ridley came up with the steal and was fouled going to the basket.

&uot;We stunk up the gym,&uot; Prairie View head coach Billy Pee said. &uot;We didn’t get after it. We let them manhandle us, and that’s the bottom line.&uot;

The Saints got into the double bonus with over five minutes left in the game, but Ridley and the Saints struggled from the line. They missed nine of their first 13 shots from the line before Ridley cashed in both with 1:54 left to cut the lead to 40-39.

&uot;We got up there and played hard,&uot; Ridley said. &uot;We played them twice and got beat both times. Coach told me to get on No. 13 (Echols), and they made a bad pass. But I still missed the wide-open layup. We didn’t play a great game, but we still got the W.&uot;

The Spartans struggled in the second half putting up points, as the Saints did in the first half. The game got away from the Saints at the end of the first half when Prairie View got rolling with its shots from the outside &045; Echols drained a 3-pointer early to spark an 11-2 run that ended with a putback from Josh Jones with 2:38 left for a 21-13 lead.

The Saints then came out with fire in the second half with an 11-2 run with some buckets off turnovers. Dustin Brooks put in the Spartans’ only bucket of the run with 3:35 left to tie the score at 23, but Rogel and Ridley each came up with layups off steals fro a 27-23 lead with 1:52 left.

Rogel hit another bucket with 19 seconds left, but Brooks canned a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Prairie View at 30-29 lead heading into the fourth. Rogel finished with 10 points. Brooks led Prairie View with 13.

&uot;People will say we were flat after that big game, but we play ugly,&uot; King said. &uot;We’ve played ugly since November. But we play with passion, play as hard as we can and give ourselves a chance to win games. I don’t like to make excuses, but people don’t know Stevan was in the bed with the flu all day yesterday and today. But great programs find ways to win games.&uot;