A 34-21 halftime lead for Beaumont (Texas) United dwindled down to a 52-all tie with 1:36 left in the game against St. Louis Christian Brothers College High School.
That's when Wesley Yates stepped up for a game-changing 3-pointer.
"I never get distracted or anything," Yates said. "I just know how to handle adversity pretty well. I just stay locked in the whole game and prepare myself for those shots."
For good measure, the 6-foot-4 junior hit another one with 1:02 remaining, and the Timberwolves staved off Justin Tatum's Cadets 67-59 in the semifinal round of the King Bracket at the King Cotton Holiday Classic on Tuesday.
United (16-1) will take on North Little Rock, which beat Antioch (Tenn.) Cane Ridge 86-59 in the other semifinal, at 8:15 tonight for the bracket championship.
Texas 5A champion United outscored CBC (6-4) 25-15 in the final 8 minutes after the Cadets went on a 23-8 run in the third quarter.
"We knew they were going to make a run because they're a good team, so we were just prepared for it," said Yates, who hit 5 3-pointers. "We got an early timeout during the run they made. We wanted to settle down, regain focus and go back out there and compete."
Terrance Arceneaux scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kayde Dotson had 14 points for the winning Timberwolves.
Robert Martin led CBC with 23 points and 7 assists. Mikhail Abdul-Hamid added 15 points and John Bol scored 12 points.
"Coach just told us, we weren't hitting shots a little bit in the first half, so the second half, he told us to keep fighting, and we fought back," Martin said. "We didn't get the 'W,' but we fought hard."
North Little Rock 86, Cane Ridge 59
North Little Rock's Nick Smith got the matchup he dreamed of with his best friend and future Southeastern Conference rival Brandon Miller.
Smith, who signed with the University of Arkansas, had 32 points and 10 rebounds to guide the Charging Wildcats (10-3) past the Nashville-area Ravens (8-5). Corey Washington registered 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; and future University of Oregon Duck Kel'el Ware had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Miller, who will play at the University of Alabama next season, scored 33 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Joshua McDaniel added 10 points in the loss.
Magnolia 68, Shreveport Huntington 61
Rayshun McCullar finished with a game-high 27 points, but poor free-throw shooting came back to haunt the Raiders as Magnolia punched its ticket into the Creed Bracket championship against Little Rock Parkview or Baytown (Texas) Goose Creek Memorial.
University of Arkansas signee Derrian Ford accounted for half of Magnolia's free throw makes, going 11 for 21 and finishing with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Adrien Walker led the Panthers with 17 points, Nevi Tell scored 14, and Devonta Walker and Marcus Snider each had 11.
Magnolia outscored Huntington 22-8 in the second quarter and built a 35-22 halftime lead, but McCullar kept the Raiders in the game with his 11-for-20 shooting.
Devin Myers scored 12 points and DeCedric Webb added 10 for Huntington.
Fort Bend (Texas) Hightower 63, Chicago De La Salle 55
DaJuan Bates can feel McCullar's pain.
Bates scored 28 points, mostly on 12-of-27 field goal shooting, and even forced overtime with a bank shot off a steal with 5 seconds left. But the Hurricanes outscored the Meteors 13-5 in the extra frame to come away with the win.
Aaron Williams Jr. and Ja'Corey Chatman each scored 18 points to lead Hightower, located in Fort Bend County. Traeveon Hannah scored 12 points and Eric Jackson had 8 in the win.
Jamil Wilson scored 10 for the Meteors.
GIRLS
Sylvan Hills 67, Huntington 47
The Lady Bears awoke from a 17-8 first-quarter deficit and nearly placed all five starters in double-digit scoring in knocking off the Lady Raiders.
Jianna Morris led Sylvan Hills with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Morris hit 8 of 11 free throws.
Karsyn Morgan scored 16 points, Jayla Stirgus had 13 points (7 of 10 free throws), Courtney Savell netted 10 and Jayla Harris finished with 9 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Kalea Dean led Huntington with 13 points, and Jayla Allen added 11.
The Parkview-Goose Creek Memorial boys game finished after Commercial press time.