The second- and third-grade Bruins and Hoosiers tipped off for the last time of the season Feb. 8 at the East Lawrence Center. The Bruins, after losing, regaining and losing the lead, hit the final shot of the game to walk away with the win 25-24.

The game started off slow. Both teams hammered the boards, but had trouble controlling the ball in their own ends. The Bruins got the first of the game when Jake Hensley hit a layup. Logan Shields quickly tied the game back up for the Hoosiers. However, Hensley wasn’t going to lie down and take it, responding with his second bucket of the game.

Both teams played the thief, stealing the ball back and forth, not allowing the other one to get any shots off. The first quarter was chock full of fouls, allowing the teams to play a game of one-point cat and mouse. By the end of the first, the Bruins were leading 6-3.

The second quarter started with a bang when Tanner Pfortmiller stole the ball and took it full court for a layup. The Hoosiers continued the retribution when Jack Flynn hammered another one home, quickly followed up for the third Hoosier shot of the quarter from Shields.

Both teams stepped up the energy, the Bruins keeping hot on the tails of the game’s new leader. Hensley picked up a rebound to keep the Bruins close, managing to tie the game after he sunk his second shot of the quarter. With 10 seconds left, Flynn took the Hoosiers lead back. It was short lived, as a last-second shot by Alan Clothier for the Bruins tied the game one more time.

What began as a slow game had turned into a pressure cooker by the third quarter, the teams exchanging blows, each trading the lead back and forth. The Hoosiers opened up the scoring, but the Bruins were right behind to remind them to not get too comfortable.

Both coaches called time outs looking to find a way to push ahead of each other. The Bruins took back their lead, but it was short lived when the Hoosiers tied and then pushed ahead in the last seconds of the third quarter.

The Hoosiers looked like a sure shot to win with Shields hitting the first of the fourth. Both tore up and down the court desperate to come away with the win. The Bruins quickly began to catch up when Scotty Frantz hit a free throw, quickly followed up by a two-pointer from Clothier.

Bruin Alan Clothier remains in control of the ball after stumbling on the upcourt dribble Wednesday against the Hoosiers.

Shields got an assist to keep the Hoosiers ahead, but Frantz was handed the ball for a Bruins shot shortly after. With 20 seconds left in the game, the Hoosiers were ahead by one point. With four seconds left, the crowd grew silent as Frantz faded back for a long jumper which he sank to clinch the win.

“It was a good, close game,” Bruins coach Greg Capps said. “It was really exciting. They passed the ball better than they have improved a lot.”

Capps also expressed satisfaction with the season in general, calling the game a good feather in their cap.

“We had some success,” he said. “We also had some failure. We worked really hard and played hard.”