NATCHEZ &045; Steven Ridley was struggling at the free throw line late in the game, and his teammates knew it.

Not that they were lost faith in the standout sophomore, but Trinity’s Saints prepared for a miss with Adams Christian holding just a two-point lead with 12 seconds left in the ball game.

That’s just what Zach Rogel did.

Rogel wedged himself in front of an Adams defender, got the rebound and put it back up to tie the game at 45 with 11 seconds left. Then after the place erupted and the Rebels tried to get the ball, the Saints stole the ball under the goal and got a bucket from Kris Ford with five seconds left to take the 47-45 lead.

Dustin Case’s shot at the buzzer from way out bounced off the rim, and the Saints came away with a two-point win in the first round of the Class AA South State tournament at the ACCS gym.

&uot;He really didn’t have his free-throw shooting stroke, but he was still on the rest of the game,&uot; Rogel said of Ridley, who still finished with 20 points. &uot;I got that rebound, and I put it back up. It just came off the rim. They pushed me a little bit, but I just went in there and didn’t even think about it.

&uot;They had the better athletes. We just came to play tonight. We didn’t want to go home.&uot;

The two huge plays at the end were the final two of a number of pivotal moments in an elimination version of the crosstown showdown between the two Natchez schools. Both teams put up runs and answered the other in a jam-packed, loud Bob Ulmer gym.

You knew it was going to come down to the final seconds, and you almost hated to see somebody lose.

&uot;It’s just unbelievable,&uot; Trinity head coach David King said. &uot;Here’s a guy 5-8, and he goes up there and gets the rebound. It shows you the heart these kids have. When you don’t have a lot of talent but play that hard, you can keep yourself in games. Honestly, we have no business beating people like that. We won that on tradition and guts.&uot;

The final 12 seconds was a bizarre turn of events after the Rebels finally got back into the game in the fourth quarter.

The Saints (16-13) led by seven at the end of the third quarter after pulling ahead at the buzzer at half but struggled at the start of the fourth.

The Rebels had the momentum &045; Lee Dellinger drew two offensive charges in the final 3 1/2 minutes &045; and took the lead when Ray Simpson put one in off the glass with 38 seconds left for a 44-43 lead. Simpson then drew a foul with 18 seconds left and hit one of two free throws for the 45-43 lead.

That set up the Saints’ trip down the floor when Ridley got fouled and everything went awry.

&uot;We didn’t want Ridley to beat us in the second half any more,&uot; Adams head coach Kyle Smith said. &uot;I could have done a few things different myself, and the guys could have done some things different to win the game. We’re up two, and he misses the free throw. It happened too fast. I was trying to get a timeout when we got the ball, but I guess nobody could hear me. Things just didn’t go our way.&uot;

The Rebels put the brakes on Ridley a bit in the second half after he put up 14 in the first half. They put him on the line, and Ridley’s two free throws with 2:26 left put the lead at 43-40.

The Rebels had to contain Ridley after losing post Casey Gould to five fouls, and Dellinger and Jake Williams came up with some big stops in his place &045; along with a number of teammates, who smothered Ridley every time he got the ball.

&uot;I’m so proud of our kids, but hat’s off to Kyle and his team,&uot; King said. &uot;They had some great athletes and a great year. I’m proud of our fans how they kept us in it, but AC had a tremendous year. Those seniors, I’ve competed against those kids for years. They have nothing to be ashamed of.&uot;

The Saints trailed most of the first half but finally got over the top when Rogel put in a basket off a steal as the buzzer sounded on the first half for a 26-25 lead. Tripp Bryant nailed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left in the third quarter that gave the Saints a 37-30 lead heading into the fourth.

That’s when Adams chipped away. Dustin Case &045; held to just two points in the first three quarters &045; finally broke away for a bucket to start the quarter. It ignited a 8-2 run that ended with Case hitting one of two free throws with 4:06 left to trim the lead to 39-38.

&uot;Hat’s off to Trinity &045; they came to play and beat us again,&uot; Smith said. &uot;But I’m happy with our effort and our effort this year. To finish last in district and win the district tournament, that’s what we wanted to do. We also wanted to win this game, but we fell short.&uot;