Santa Clarita, CA- Any coach will tell you that the only lead that matters is the one on the board when the clock hits zero. While this is true, they will probably also tell you they would appreciate that first lead coming earlier than the last 23 seconds of a game. 

Tonight saw a game with a wild enough ending, that you might have thought it took place in the NAIA tournament- not before New Years. Carroll College (11-2) lived up to their billing as a text book team that every coach dreams of. Returning their top eight players from last season's quarterfinals team, the Saints wasted no time after tipoff flaunting their experience. In a game that quickly swelled from a 4-4 tie to a 14-6 deficit, the Firestorm (11-1) found themselves playing catch up almost from the beginning. The first half saw the Saints out maneuver the Firestorm at every turn, quick to respond with a timely basket any time the Firestorm seemed to be trying to make a run. Led by the duo of Oliver Carr (10 pts) and Match Burnham (9 pts), the Saints made sure to remind anybody that was watching why they lead the country in shooting. The Firestorm, who struggled to get into an offensive rhythm in the first half, managed to keep the Saints within striking distance as the first half wound down. With 11 first half points from Senior Guard Shy McClelland, and a buzzer beating three-pointer by Junior Guard Al Brown, the Firestorm managed to get to halftime only down 38-33.

As the second half started, Senior Forward Steven Loucks quickly brought the Firestorm within three after a beautiful play set found him all alone at the basket. But the momentum was quickly tamed as the Saints responded by going on a quick 10-0 run behind back to back three pointers by Kyle Nickol. After a timeout, the lead continued to stay at double digits with little sign of weakness by the Saints. Once again the Firestorm found themselves being met at every turn as they tried desperately to get back into the game. With 11 minutes left in the game, the Saints attained their largest lead of the night (17 points) and could see the finish line coming into sight. But for anyone who has been watching this Firestorm team, you knew that they weren't done just yet. Sparked by a Carter Wilson three-pointer, the Firestorm proceed to go on a 16-2 run that brought them back to within three points. The run was sustained by a familiar face to Firestorm fans in Senior Forward Chris Sterling. Sterling erupted in the final ten minutes of the game for 16 points, and multiple important rebounds and steals. One big key to the Firestorm ultimately getting back in the game, was how well they took care of the ball. They didn't turn the ball over, and they also started playing much more aggressive on the boards.

Said Coach Jeff Rutter, "We did a nice job on the defensive glass in the second half, and took care of the ball".

The Saints managed to push their lead back up to nine points, but Sterling, and Matt Willkomm had already smelt the blood in the water and it became very apparent that they had one more fight left in them. With one minute left and the Saints still holding a four-point lead, McClelland managed to drive coast to coast and put in a quick layup to make it a one score game with 50 seconds left. On the ensuing inbound, Sterling managed to bypass a screen and swoop in for the steal. Once regaining possession he turned and drew the foul from Saints player Matt Wyman. In the next moment, as Wyman looked up and saw Sterling's shot continue to fall, it suddenly felt like the roles in this game had switched. After Sterling made the "and one" free throw, The Firestorm took their first lead of the game with 23 seconds left to play. While they weren't out of the woods just yet, a missed three-pointer by Zach Taylor left an opportunity for Willkomm to seal the deal. Catching a pass from Sterling, Willkomm raced up the court and to the basket to draw an "and one" for himself. With only nine seconds left and the Firestorm suddenly up 80-75, the upset was sealed.

"Great win tonight" an excited Rutter said, "Our guys kept fighting and things started to go our way at the end. We began to play with really good energy, we forced a few key turnovers, and began to score a bit easier on the offensive end as a result. 

All in all, the Firestorm closed out the last ten minutes outscoring the Saints 32-13. They once again showed why you would be unwise to ever count them out, and they now have their biggest win of the season as a result.

"Guys stepped up and made some huge plays when we needed them to" Rutter explained, "and in the end that was the difference"

GAME NOTES

• The Firestorm only held the lead for the final 23 seconds of the game
• This is the second time this season the Firestorm have come back from a double-digit deficit late in the game
• The Firestorm held Saints leading scorer Zach Taylor to to his 2nd lowest point total on the season (8)
• The six turnovers by the Firestorm tonight were the fewest they have had this season
• In the past eight games, the Firestorm are outscoring their opponent on average 47-31 in the 2nd half (including overtime)
• Tonight was the first win against a top 10 team away from home since the 2013-2014 season (#5 Evangel University Red Lion Classic)

Next Up: The Firestorm will take on University of California Merced in their final game of the Master's Classic tomorrow at 4:00pm