With less than 10 seconds left on the clock, down by two, the Wareham High School Boys Basketball team needed a three pointer to win the game. After a strong drive to the basket and pass to the corner, freshman Coleman Brito rattled home the shot for the win.

The Vikings took on Bishop Stang High School Monday, Feb. 17 at Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville. The game was a part of the Mitch Kuliga Basketball Classic, a four team tournament Wareham plays in every year at the end of the regular season.

"There's always quality teams here and it's a tournament like atmosphere," said Vikings Head Coach Steve Faniel. "It's good preparation for the [state] tournament."

The game began with the Vikings asserting themselves on offense in the first quarter, amassing a double digit lead. However the Spartans battled back in the second quarter and the Vikings went to the locker room with a 26 to 23 lead at halftime.

Neither team was able to dominate the second half. Both teams put together strong defensive efforts and matched each other on the offensive end.

Late in the fourth quarter, Bishop Stang took a two point lead and after a few turnovers on the offensive end by the Vikings, they only had enough time for one final play to try and secure the victory.

Faniel called a timeout and drew up the winning play. Malikhi Tavares drove to the basket, luring defenders into the paint. This gave him the opportunity to pass the ball to Brito waiting in the corner where he knocked down the shot, sealing the win for Wareham by a score of 53 to 52.

"We haven't been in too many tight games like that but as a young team these kinds of games are good for us," said Sophomore Amare Rose.

Rose described the season as "up and down," saying the team has faced its struggles but pulling out the win at the end of the game is a confidence booster heading into the state tournament.

The Vikings have one final regular season game to play before they attempt to win the state championship for the third consecutive year.

"That gives a lot of our young guys confidence and we had a great crowd tonight which gave us some energy," he said. "We executed a play at the end of the game which we hadn't really been able to do all year."

Rose played on last year's state championship winning team and he said he feels like this team is prepared to make a run at a third straight state championship.

"We stay ready so we don't have to get ready," Rose said.