Logan Elm took the lead for good with 1:42 remaining on Saturday on its way to a 49-45 Mid-State League Buckeye Division win over visiting Liberty Union.
Tanner Holbert nailed a triple from the left wing to give the Braves their aforementioned 45-42 advantage.
After Kalib Riddle split a pair of free throws for the Lions, Holbert drained two free throws to make it 47-43.
Jacob Denney then scored on a drive to the basket to cut the LE lead to 47-45 with 31 seconds remaining.
After Konnor Starkey split a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game, the Lions missed a layup with Garret Summers bringing down the rebound for the Braves.
Holbert then made one of two free throws with 1.1 seconds left to seal the win.
Liberty Union took a 17-10 lead after a quarter of play, but the Braves rebounded to send the two teams into intermission deadlocked at 25-25.
Holbert hit a trio of threes in the second for the Braves on his way to a game-high 23 points. Starkey followed with 16 points and Braylen Baker added six.
Denney had 17 points and Riddle added 15 for the Lions (6-10- 6-5).
The Braves (12-4, 8-3) hosts Chillicothe on Tuesday for a non-league encounter.
Amanda-Clearcreek 44,
Circleville 40
An admirable comeback effort by Circleville in the second half on Saturday wasn’t enough to overcome a slow start in a 44-40 MSL-Buckeye loss to host Amanda-Clearcreek.
The Aces used a 21-point outburst in the first quarter to take a 21-8 lead and expanded that advantage to 31-14 at the break.
Tayvon Miller was one of five players to score in the opening stanza for the Aces with seven points and Clayton Rhyne tossed in six.
Amanda-Clearcreek was checked to just a pair of Rhyne free throws in the third quarter, as Circleville closed its deficit to 33-30 entering the fourth.
Ian Warden and Briley Cramer sparked the Tigers to life in the period with six points apiece.
Rhyne scored 17 points to lead the Aces, including nine of the team’s 11 fourth-quarter points, and Miller and Nate Hunter added seven apiece.
Warden led the Tigers with 15 points, Cramer had 10 and Craig Fleck added seven.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday for non-league play, as the Aces (8-10, 3-8) travel to Grove City Christian and the Tigers (4-14, 2-9) host Berne Union.
Fairfield Union 52,
Teays Valley 51
Ted Harrah drained a jumper with seven seconds left on Saturday to send Fairfield Union to a 52-51 MSL-Buckeye win over host Teays Valley.
Ryan Allton had just drained a pair of free throws with 20 ticks left to give the Vikings a 51-50 lead.
The Vikings (7-11, 6-5) continue league play on Friday at Hamilton Township.
Westfall 69,
Huntington 54
Trevor Wolfe erupted for a game-high 25 points to help Westfall to a 69-54 Scioto Valley Conference win over visiting Huntington.
Brody Clark followed with 15 points and Casey Cline had 12 for the Mustangs (9-7, 7-5), who host Madison-Plains on Tuesday for a non-conference game.
Girls Basketball
Huntington 58,
New Hope 44
Allson Basye scorched the nets to lead all scorers with 34 points and send Huntington to a 58-44 non-conference win over visiting New Hope.
After the two teams played to a 10-10 tie after a quarter of play, Huntington claimed the next two periods by a 36-20 margin.
Maren McCallister had 22 points and Eden Leist added 15 for the Stateswomen.
Zane Trace 48,
Logan Elm 36
Zane Trace led at all stops on Saturday as it recorded a 48-36 non-conference win over host Logan Elm.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 9-6 lead and expanded that advantage to 25-14 and 38-24.
Hannah Rhoads paced the Braves with 11 points, Cadence Haupt had nine and Maggie Wilson added eight.
Logan Elm (0-19, 0-11) resumes league play on Tuesday at Bloom-Carroll.
Teays Valley 53,
Groveport 28