This time, Southwestern didn't let one slip away, but it was close.
Less than 24 hours after falling apart in the closing moments to Dunbar of Washington, the No. 4 Sabers bounced back with a 61-58 victory over No. 3 St. Frances at the Function in the Junction Mixer at Walbrook last night.
Ernie Evans led Southwestern (5-1) with 18 points and had eight rebounds. Stanley Parker had 16 points.
Thursday against Dunbar of Washington, ranked No. 2 in the Washington area by the Washington Post, the Sabers held a 66-63 advantage with 2:30 left in regulation, but failed to score again as the Crimson Tide scored the game's final 14 points to pull out a 77-66 triumph.
With less than 30 seconds to play last night, Southwestern had a 60-52 lead, but St. Frances scored the next six to close to within 60-58 with 10 seconds left.
Reginald Johnson hit the front end of a one-and-one, then missed the second. The Panthers' Mark Karcher pulled down the rebound and called timeout as he fell down with six seconds left.
Karcher, who led St. Frances with 15 points, got the ball after the inbound pass, but the ball knocked away from behind. He recovered it and was able to call another timeout with a second left.
The Panthers inbounded the ball to Alphonso Jones, whose desperation three-pointer missed at the buzzer.
"They finished for a change, but we kind of struggled," said South western coach Terry Leverette. "They [St. Frances] had a shot at it, but we relaxed on the defense."
The Sabers' defense nearly cost them a second straight defeat, allowing a four-point play by Jones, making it 60-56 with 19 seconds left. Evans missed the front end of a one-and-one and St. Frances converted it into a follow basket by Charles Beaufort.
"We didn't play our game and were tentative in the first half," said St. Frances coach William Wells. "The game was lost in the first half, we shot poorly."
With Karcher returning for the Panthers after sitting out Thursday's game against Edmondson because of "a school-related problem," Southwestern jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes.
Trailing by as many as 10 in the first half, the Panthers chipped away at the deficit, finally taking a 28-26 lead on a three-pointer by Jones to open the second half.
The game turned into a battle from the perimeter in the third period with the Sabers taking a 42-40 lead on a NBA three-pointer by Evans deep from the right wing with a second left.
With the game tied at 46 with 5:41 left, Southwestern began to pull away, scoring eight straight to move out in front, 54-46, with 1:47 left in regulation.
"We played smart today," said Evans. "We made the shots we needed to make and were able to stop them defensively when needed."
What Southwestern didn't finish on Thursday, the host Warriors did, rallying from a 12-point deficit to defeat Dunbar of Washington (4-2), 79-71, in the finale.
Antwon Jenifer scored 27 points to lead the Warriors (4-1). Travone Broadway added 25 and Chris Reynolds scored 22.
Trailing 67-65 with 2:38 left in regulation, Walbrook went on a 10-0 run to take a 75-67 lead with over a minute left.
"We were due for an upset," said Walbrook coach Gus Herrington. "We would come up short in the big games, so it was our time. We controlled our own destiny."
Broadway tied the game at 67 with two free throws. After Dunbar turned the ball over, Jenifer drove the lane for a layup and was fouled. His free throw gave the Warriors a 70-67 lead.
With 1:32 left, Michael Gill, Dunbar's leading scorer, fouled out after scoring only six points. Chris Reynolds converted two free throws, extending the lead to 75-67.
Then, it was Broadway who capped off the Warriors' comeback with an off-balance layup for a three-point play with a minute left.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to play because of my ankle being sore," said Broadway, who injured his right ankle in last Saturday's loss to Dunbar. "Once I taped it up, it felt fine, but the whole team came big in the end."