The sixth- and seventh-grade Yellow Jackets and Wildcats played a nail biter that came down to the final seconds of the game.

The Yellow Jackets went home victorious 32-30 after a buzzer beater shot fell through to beat the Wildcats Dec. 12 at the East Lawrence Center.

The game came down to a scoring battle between Wildcats point guard Rudy Hilliard and Yellow Jackets forward Chris Gaston.

Gaston played in the paint throughout most of the game. He grabbed defensive rebounds to start new possessions and grabbed offensive rebounds to score on easy put-backs. In the fourth quarter, Gaston hit a long three-point bomb that extended the lead for the Yellow Jackets.

But those three points weren’t enough to hold off Hilliard and the surging Wildcats.

Hilliard was a quick and smooth slasher with an offensive mind. He was able to switch hands in mid air to avoid the arms of the Yellow Jackets defenders and finish his layups. He also used a midrange jump shot to keep the defenders on their toes. Even with his offense-oriented mind, Hilliard played an unselfish game and dished the ball off on fast breaks.

Hilliard finished the game with a game-high 17 points including a crucial two points late in the fourth quarter. With 40 seconds left in the game Hilliard got the ball and cut to the basket for a left-handed lay in, which tied the game at 30. On the ensuing inbounds play, Hilliard stole the ball on the inbounds pass. The Wildcats then called time out with 33 seconds left in the contest.

Wildcats guard Jason Chang sprints up the court while dribbling the ball against the Yellow Jackets Dec. 12 at the East Lawrence Center. The Wildcats fell to the Yellow Jackets on a last-second shot, 32-30.

The Wildcats tried to set up one final play to pull off the victory. But the play fell apart and the Yellow Jackets took over possession with just nine ticks left on the clock. The Yellow Jackets put the ball in Gaston’s hands. He streaked up the court and launched a 15-foot jumper just before time expired in the game. The ball went up and came down through the net as the buzzer went off and the crowd erupted. Gaston’s final shot gave him a team-high 15 points.

Hilliard may have won the scoring battle over Gaston with two more points, but the Yellow Jackets went home with the win off Gaston’s game winner.