A calm decision in chaos delivered one of the basketball team’s biggest wins of the season last night.

With time winding down in overtime and the Blue Jays trailing by one, senior Tanner Hughes took the inbounds pass, pushed the ball up the floor, and attacked the basket. His driving layup skimmed the backboard and dropped through the net with 0.9 seconds remaining, sealing a dramatic 68-67 victory over top-ranked John Curtis on Friday night at the Country Day Tournament.

The win came after a back-and-forth overtime that featured four lead changes and showcased the Blue Jays’ poise against one of the state’s premier programs. Curtis, previously undefeated, had just taken a 67-66 lead with nine seconds remaining, but the Blue Jays never called timeout, trusting Hughes to make a play.

“I knew we had to go,” Hughes said. “They were denying Zach [LaGraize] heavily, and I had my guy on my hip, so I just took it to the rim.”

Hughes was fouled on the game-winning attempt, but his free throw missed the rim, leaving Curtis a final chance. The Patriots’ desperation heave from near midcourt bounced off the backboard as time expired.

Senior Zach LaGraize led the Blue Jays with 22 points, scoring 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime while carrying the offense during key stretches. Senior Sven Jensen added 13 points with strong finishes inside, and junior Duke Nitcher chipped in nine points. Hughes finished with eight points, the final two proving to be the most important.

Blue Jays head coach Chris Jennings ’78 said the decision not to call timeout was intentional.

“If you have time to get up and go, you go,” Jennings said. “Calling timeout lets the defense get set. We wanted to create something in transition.”

“He’s tough. He doesn’t give up, he guards, and he makes good decisions,” Jennings remarked about Hughes. “He’s the guy we want with the ball.”

The Blue Jays improved to 13-4 with the win and advanced to the tournament championship game against Shaw, scheduled for Saturday, January 10.

“They’re ranked No. 1 in the state,” Hughes said. “This shows we can compete with anybody.”

The Blue Jays will have to play the Patriots again Jan. 30 in the Benson Arena in District 9-5A play.