On the last play of a seesaw battle of a game that was deadlocked at 56-all at Briarcliff HS Saturday night, the entire gym thought the ball was going to wind up in the hands of Hastings' 6-foot-4 Class of 2024 forward Keith Capuano.

And why not? Capuano had decimated Briarcliff's defense to the tune of 28 points, slashing and bulldozing his way to the rim and garnering efficient trips to the free throw line.

Not so fast.

Casey Marino got a hard look deep into the left corner.

The off guard was able to get the shot off just before the buzzer, drilling a dramatic 3-pointer as Hastings had the final say in a dizzying 59-56 thriller.

Capuano, who was named MVP of the Briarcliff tournament, piled up 58 points in two games.

He erupted for 30 during the tournament opener, a victory over Byram Hills. In the win over Briarcliff, Capuano hit 16-of-17 from the free throw line.

The two evenly matched teams made for an intriguing back and forth battle between two of the area's premiere Class B teams.

It was a tight game early and often.

A Chris Donofrio corner 3-pointer gave Briarcliff a roll of momentum and a 12-11 lead after the first quarter.

Hastings got jump started by Rob Kennedy, who hit a 3-pointer, stuck a pull-up jumper, and spurred the high low game.

A 3-pointer from Marino kick started a 7-0 run.

This spurt, capped off by a pair of Capuano free throws, enabled Hastings to seize a 22-16 lead with 1:52 remaining in the second half.

Briarcliff answered as Donofrio bagged a 3-pointer from the left corner to slice the deficit to three with 1:31 to play.

Briarcliff's Luke Murray hit a deep, tape measure 3-pointer in the final minute, albeit Hastings went into the half with a 27-22 lead.

Jason Rosenbaum, Briarcliff's slick left-handed point guard, keyed a spirited 12-2 run as Briarcliff erased the deficit and subsequently took a 34-29 third quarter lead.

Hastings was able to thwart the run as Capuano bucketed a pair of free throws.

The forward had a traditional 3-point play on a putback, finished off a lob, and Casey Marino drained a transition 3-pointer with a Briarcliff defender reaching in on a foul.

Marino sank the free throw to complete the rare four-point play. In quick hit fashion, Hastings suddenly had a 42-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter.