Nick Brandt summed it up nicely.
"Well, that was fun," the Helias sophomore said as he headed to the locker room following Wednesday night's 74-72 double-overtime win against Bolivar at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Fun indeed.
Helias trailed by as many as 13 points, forced overtime, and then a second overtime before Dalton Weaver got Rackers Fieldhouse in a frenzy.
Bolivar big man Brandon Emmert tied the game at 72 with 1:03 left in the second OT period. The Crusaders then called a timeout with :8.8 on the clock and drew up the game-winning play.
Bolivar wasn't going to let Landon Harrison, who scored 36 points, get off the final shot. With Helias center Nathan Bax on the bench after fouling out in the final two minutes, Weaver was called upon to go one-on-one against Emmert inside. Weaver delivered.
The 6-4 senior got a layup over the 6-6 Emmert with less than six seconds left. Weaver finished with seven points and six rebounds for the Crusaders.
"They executed it perfectly and Dalton made a huge shot for us, a post move on an all-stater," Crusaders coach Josh Buffington said. "Dalton is one of the toughest kids I've ever coached. He's playing with a broken back right now. That's just how tough he is."
Conley Garrison got a shot off for Bolivar around halfcourt, but it bounced off the rim.
"When it left his hands it almost felt like it was going to to go in," Buffington said. "No one could really get that edge down the stretch on the other team."
Garrison had 21 points and nine rebounds, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Emmert provided the inside game for the Liberators with 36 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
Whenever Helias needed to rally, Harrison and Bax were there.
Harrison made a floater to cut Bolivar's lead to 44-41 after three quarters.
Bax got the fourth-quarter scoring started with a 3 from the wing to tie it at 44. Bax finished with 17 points and six rebounds. Bolivar answered with an 8-1 run, but Bax again hit a 3 from the wing to keep Helias within striking distance.
Harrison tied the game at 56 with a 3 with 11 seconds left in regulation.
"Landon is a gamer and he's going to continue to do that night in and night out," Buffington said. "He's a special player."
Alex Buschjost then got a steal and passed it up to Brandt for a layup that bounced out to send it to overtime.
Helias took a 61-58 lead in OT as Harrison knocked down a highly-contested 3.
Ian Jones answered for Bolivar to tie it again before Bax made two free throws with 1:19 left in OT.
Emmert knotted it at 63 with a tip-in and Helias couldn't get a good look, settling for a long 3 at the buzzer to send the game to a second overtime period.
"That's two really good early season basketball teams in Class 4 going at it," Buffington said. "It was a great environment. Anytime we play Bolivar, it's a great basketball game. I have the most respect for their coach, their staff. I know their coach (Robby Hoegh) is going through a hard time right now with losing his father and our prayers are with him and their team on that as well."
While Harrison and Bax were making the big shots, Drew bossen wanted to get into the act, too.
Boessen came off the bench after Bax fouled out andcame through with a 3 to give Helias a 72-70 lead with 1:15 left.
"That's big for him and he deserves to be the guy in that moment and we have confidence in him," Buffington said. "That can be huge for us if we can get him going."
Helias (5-0) now turns its sights on the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic, which begins Wednesday at Fleming Fieldhouse.
The Crusaders will match up with Oxford (Miss.) at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the three-day event.