It wasn't exactly that complete-game effort coaches are always seeking, but the Helias Crusaders were able to get a win Saturday thanks to eight really good minutes of play and one huge shot.
The Crusaders used a fabulous first four minutes and a strong final four - capped off by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Sam Husting - to rally for a 62-59 win against the Hillcrest Hornets at Rackers Fieldhouse.
"It was an emotional win for us," said Helias coach Josh Buffington, whose team won its fifth straight game. "Our guys were stoked and hopefully we can continue to ride this wave we're on."
The Crusaders played great at the start, hitting their first three shots on the game and eventually going up 15-7.
Things were decidedly less great after that, as defensive breakdowns let the Hornets get to within 20-18 after one quarter and 33-29 at halftime.
Hillcrest then owned the third quarter, hitting 7-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to start the period, eventually outscoring Helias 22-10 to go up 51-43 heading to the final period.
"We were just uncharacteristically unfundamental on defense," Buffington said. "We left our feet a lot, our rotations were not there or they were super slow, and we didn't communicate like we needed to in clutch situations.
"It snowballed on us there for three quarters."
The Hornets twice ran the lead to 10 in the fourth quarter, the second time with just 5:41 remaining.
"It was very tough on the sideline," Buffington said. "I give a lot of credit to the players - they did everything they could to stay positive with themselves and with our team, even at times when maybe our staff was not.
"Things weren't going our way, the ball wasn't bouncing our way, and a lot of that had to do with how hard and how well Hillcrest played. They're athletic, they're well-coached, and they shot it well tonight."
Helias then started to make a charge, finally getting within 59-56 with two minutes left on a nifty layup by Husting.
After Hillcrest missed a layup, the Crusaders missed a great chance to tie it or get within one thanks to a turnover. But instead of sulking, Helias came up with a great defensive play to get the ball right back.
Guarding the inbounder, Helias' Trevor Koelling used his 6-foot-7 frame to deflect the ball right back and him, and with the Hornet still standing out of bounds, the ball went back to the Crusaders with just one second ticking off the clock.
"He used his length and intensity on the inbounds play to make a huge play for us," Buffington said of Koelling, who played the game wearing a face mask after breaking his nose while taking a charge in Friday night's win at Hickman.
Then it was time for heroics from Husting. It took just five seconds after the Hillcrest turnover for him to launch a 3 that splashed home as he hit the deck, tying it at 59 and ending a streak of nine straight missed 3s for the sharpshooter.
"I would never want to be the coach that told Sam Husting to stop shooting, and I never will be that coach," Buffington said. "He had an off night, but he was not scared to take the big ones continually down the stretch and he won the game for us."
He did that when the Hornets turned it over again on their ensuing possession.
After taking timeout with :07.4 left, the Crusaders used a somewhat broken play to find an open Husting, who banked home a very deep 3 for the game-winner.
"I didn't call the bank, but the bank was open tonight," Husting said with a smile. "My coaches and my teammates told me to keep shooting the ball, which gave me a lot of confidence."
He said the team executed well on the final play.
"They were trapping on that last play and we swung the ball to the open man and I got a good pass and I figured I'd just shoot it," Husting said.
Landon Harrison led the Crusaders with 16 points, while Husting added 15 and Adam Bax had 10. Koelling chipped in with eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Hezekiah Duke led a balanced effort for Hillcrest (8-14) with 12 points. Tim Washington added 11, Cole Pryor had 10 and Shahn Clark and Jaydun Sydnor scored nine each.
Helias (15-7) returns to action Friday against Father Tolton at Columbia College. The game is already sold out, but it will be streamed live on the Columbia College web site, with the exact link being provided via social media on the day of the game.
In Saturday's JV game, Helias notched a 51-49 win. Nick Brandt and Jake VanLoo scored 10 points apiece to pace the Crusaders (11-7).