That's what Knightdale wing Tyler Nicholson said after hitting a near half-court, last-call 3-pointer to send Thursday's varsity matchup with East Wake into overtime. Knightdale made the shot count, topping the home team 83-80 in the extra period of play.

Both the Knights and the Warriors fell Friday night - Knightdale to West Johnston by a point, 67-66, and East Wake to Clayton, 65-56 - but neither team will look back and remember anything but the barn burner that took place in Wendell the night before.

The Knights (8-8, 5-1) started the first quarter in familiar Knight fashion, gaining a steady lead, but for the first time in a few years the Warriors (6-8, 2-3) lingered. When East Wake's Donta Davis drained a buzzer beater of his own at the sounding of the half, fans knew a 35-33 score was worth sticking around for.

It was.

At the half coaches Battle Watkins and Darrin Stinson both stressed the need to get back on defense as key factors to a win or a loss.

"We needed to run back and actually play defense, making it difficult for them to score," Watkins said sarcastically, but seriously of his Knights.

Stinson also warned against his Warriors taking the wrong shot at the wrong time.

"We just need to run our offense more aggressively and not settle for that quick shot," he said. "They're very aggressive, so we need to be on the lookout on defense too."

Even with the coach's advice on what was the right and wrong shot, time after time East Wake took several of what initially appeared to be the wrong ones, but drained a good deal of them that historically have not dropped. On- or off-balance they dropped, and to top it off the Warrior team was actually playing as a team - something coach Darrin Stinson had previously said would make or break his squad this season.

It was like a postcard in a foreign language to the Knights, especially when the Warriors knotted the game at 55 with just over five minutes left in regulation.

With 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 66, East Wake threw the ball in to Kasunn Williams, who ran the length of the court and kicked the ball right to Antwan Payton, who found Quinton Langen wide open in the corner.

Langen's 3-point swish with 2.8 seconds left - one of his five 3s in the second half - nearly cleared the gym, especially after the ensuing Knightdale inbound was thrown clean out of bounds, giving the Warriors possession of the ball.

All East Wake needed was an inbound pass to one of its own players, and that's when Nicholson did his damage. He stepped into the line of the pass near half court, gathered the ball, took two steps and threw up a prayer. It was answered as the buzzer sounded, and with little-to-no rim involved.

In overtime the two teams traded blow for blow from behind the 3-point line, but Knightdale's Ronnie Frederick drew a foul with 50 seconds left in the four-minute period and connected on one of two free throws to set his team up 79-76.

After an East Wake 3-pointer missed its mark and the rebound was bobbled, Aaron Smith ran through for a steal and fed a wide-open Nicholson, whose layup set the Knights up 81-76 with 38 seconds left in the game - essentially sealing the deal.

Knightdale hosted Clayton yesterday (Tuesday), and East Wake traveled to Garner to face the Trojans. Results were not available at press time.

EWHS - 14-19-18-18-11-80

KHS - 19-16-20-14-14-83

Knightdale 83

Aaron Smith 26, Tyler Nicholson 19, Deandre Monroe 11, Ronnie Frederick 10, Earl McDowell 6, Anthony Pope 6, Imanuel Brooks 2, Kevin Brodie 2, Marcus Hinnant 1.

East Wake 80

Kasunn Williams 28, Quinton Langen 17, Antwan Payton 12, Donta Davis 10, Antonio Payton 7, John Barnes Smith 4, Jonathan Aparicio 4, Tyler Horton 2.