JAMESTOWN, NY - The game was in the balance until the final buzzer, and it was Jamestown Community College protecting home court over Erie Community College for a massive 88-87 win.

The game didn't start out looking like a victory for JCC. ECC quickly doubled the Jayhawks up 10-5, Dray Akin made back-to-back layups.

Jamestown made it a three-point game at 15-12, Ilyass Kaichi doing that damage from beyond the arc as he netted one of his three triples on the day. He finished the night with 14 points.

Erie flipped the script after that. Some hot shooting from A'Mag Tate saw the lead grow to as much as 15. He'd hit eight three-points on the night, finishing with a game-high 30 points.

JCC kept it respectable before the break. Joey Valerio ripped down an offensive rebound and a put-back to get the home team back within 15 as we went to the break.

The Jayhawk deficit swelled to as much as 21 early in the second half, but that's when JCC started to find its stroke and make stops on defense. Samad Bailey knocked down a mid-range jumper to get JCC to 10 for the first time since early in the game. The Erie native finished with a team-high 22 points.

Jamestown's hole was cut to five on a Jalyn Moorehead three, and on that basket, the crowd started to feel an upset brewing. JCC would take its first lead of the ball game on another Kaichi bomb to make it 75-74 with seven minutes to play.

The see-saw battle was on from there. JCC trailed by a pair with 90 seconds left when freshman Jean Saint-Fort splashed a corner triple, giving Jamestown an 85-85 win.

Bailey made another layup, and Kaichi sank a free three to make it an 88-87 game with 11 seconds to play. JCC made not one but two massive stops, including an inbounds play with 1.3 seconds left to seal the deal.

A win that was extra special for their head coach: "It felt so good to see my team's competitiveness rewarded with a huge win. Our guys fought to the final second, and it paid off. I am so proud of the effort from my entire roster. This win will be important for all of us now and in the future," said JCC head coach Xavier Churnac.

Jamestown is now 8-17 on the season, and the win was their first in conference to make them 1-4.

The Jayhawks finish the regular season at home on Saturday when they host Monroe Community College at 3:00 PM.