WARDSVILLE - When 3-pointers, jump shots and layups aren't going through the basket, the only thing left to do is get to the free-throw line.
That's what Brooke Boessen and Bailey Rissmiller did, scoring Blair Oaks' final five points at the line in a 45-44 win against the California Lady Pintos on Thursday night.
The game was tied at 40 for two and a half minutes before Boessen made a pair of free throws, stole the ball away and made two more free throws for a 44-40 lead with :28.7 on the clock.
"I was glad she was able to play the last four minutes because she made some big plays," Blair Oaks coach Darren Heckman said of Boessen, who had four fouls since the 2:29 mark of the third quarter. "Those free throws, the best looking free throws she's had. The first half she was off-balance."
Boessen made 1-of-4 at the free-throw line before making her final four, including banking in the final shot.
"Based on the look on her face, I don't think she was trying to bank that free throw," Heckman said.
Blair Oaks needed the lucky bounces to finish off its first victory against California since 2014.
After Makayla Schanzmeyer, who led the Lady Pintos with 13 points and nine rebounds, tied the game at 44, Rissmiller had the front end of a 1-and-1 bounce off the rim.
But the ball went out of bounds off the Lady Pintos, Rissmiller cut to the basket to take the inbounds pass and was fouled as California tried to block her layup attempt with :03.4 left.
The first free throw went in, but the second one was off the mark after a timeout.
"We were just going to try to put a little pressure on the ball," Heckman said. "That's why I called a timeout. I wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing. But three seconds isn't a lot of time, so it worked out fine."
It took California, the 10th-ranked team in Class 3, the majority of the remaining time to grab the rebound and the Lady Pintos only ended up with a three-quarter court shot to end it.
Blair Oaks trailed by as many as seven in the second half. Then the Lady Falcons got the momentum shift they needed.
Down 37-30 with about two minutes remaining, Rissmiller stole the ball away and floated in a shot.
On their next possession, Halie Rackers collected an offensive rebound and knocked down a jumper. Makenna Kliethermes added two free throws and Rissmiller gave Blair Oaks a 38-37 lead in the final seconds of the third quarter.
Rissmiller scored a game-high 16 points, making 5-of-6 inside the 3-point arc.
"She's hard to stay in front of," Heckman said. "She creates a lot of things for us."
Boessen finished with seven points and six rebounds. Boessen, Kayla Jones, Peyton Kusgen, Rackers, Claire Heckman, Abby Girard and Makenna Kliethermes were honored before the game for Senior Night.
Gracie George tallied 12 points for the Lady Pintos.
Blair Oaks (19-6, 5-2 Tri-County Conference) won its final seven games of the regular season. The Lady Falcons, who are the No. 2 seed in the Class 3 District 9 Tournament, will face No. 7 seed North Callaway at 4 p.m. Monday at Linn.
California (17-7, 4-3 Tri-County) is the top seed in District 9 and will take on No. 8 seed Linn at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
California won Thursday's JV game 55-44. Trishelle Porter and Lilli Eichelberger each scored 12 points for California.
Mallorie Fick scored 13 points and Alyssa Hargus added 12 for Blair Oaks.