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Sebastian Alvarez hit two free throws with five seconds left in the second overtime last Friday to lift Columbia High to a 59-58 non-league victory over visiting Montesano.
Alvarez, an exchange student from Chile, entered the game for the first time in the first overtime period after the last of four disqualified Bruins went to the bench with his fifth foul.
With time running out in the second four-minute session and CHS trailing, 58-57, he was fouled in the act of shooting.
The junior guard--who had not attempted a free throw in CHS's first three games--stepped to the line and coolly sank both foul shots, capping a wild second overtime period that the Bulldogs led by four with 3:12 remaining.
On the ensuing inbounds play after Alvarez's free throws, Montesano turned the ball over when one of its players lost his dribble out of bounds with three seconds to go.
Columbia ran out the clock to secure its third win of the season in four tries.
"Sebastian had ice in his veins," said Bruins Coach Scott Kasenga. "It was a great finish to a great game; a lot of fun. I'm just glad we won."
And though Alvarez's free throws made the final difference, it was the clutch scoring of senior Nick Patrick--he finished with a career-high eight 3-pointers and 27 points--that gave the Bruins that shot at victory.
After missing a pair of foul shots for the lead with 26 seconds to play in regulation, Patrick netted a 3-pointer with :09 showing on the clock that tied the game at 48 and forced an extra period. (Monte's shot at the buzzer, good if it went, drew back iron and bounced away.)
In the first overtime, Patrick hit another trey that put CHS ahead, 52-51, with less than half a minute left.
Montesano's Joel Bialkowsky subsequently made 1-of-2 free throws with 20 seconds remaining to even the score at 52 and send the game into double overtime.
Bialkowsky sank two free throws at the 3:12 mark of the second OT period to extend Montesano's lead to 56-52.
The Bruins cut that to 56-54 on a layin by junior Christian Rolly, a German exchange student, and took a one-point lead with 43 seconds to go on Patrick's 3-pointer--his eighth and last of the night.
Monte's Chad Martin scored and was fouled 21 seconds later but couldn't convert the free throw that would have put the Bulldogs up by two.
Columbia collected the miss and called timeout with 15 seconds left to set up a shot at the game-winner.
The ball ended up in Rolly's hands with time ticking away.
Rolly drove to the basket and when the defense collapsed around him, passed to Alvarez at the box on the left side.
Alvarez went up for the shot, missed it, but drew the foul that allowed him the opportunity to win the game.
Montesano, for its part, had a chance late in the game to close Columbia out at the foul line but couldn't get it done.
The Bulldogs made only 1-of-2 free throws with 18 seconds remaining in regulation and a three-point lead. That key miss led to Patrick's game-tying 3-point basket.
Columbia led most of the way and by as many as 11 points on senior Josabet Pulido's 3-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter. Pulido scored 17 overall.
But Montesano gradually chipped away at that lead, then knotted the game at 44-all with 1:48 to go on free throws by Bialkowsky.
Forty-five seconds later, Bialkowsky converted two more freebies to give the Bulldogs a 46-44 edge--their first lead since 6-5 late in the first quarter.
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