The boys’ basketball team has a great deal to live up to this season as defending state champs.

However, with five minutes of regulation play left against the East Lyme Vikings, it didn’t look as if the squad could live up to that reputation.

The squad had 28 turnovers and 16 out of 26 missed free throws.  They added to that losing a 15 point lead in the final five minutes of the game.

In the final seconds of regulation play, the team showed one of the reasons they were the best of the best last season: determination.

Senior Ryan Brouwer, who was not part of last year’s winning team, took an off-balanced shot at the buzzer from three-point land. He sunk it to put the game in overtime.

Then, sophomore Connor Lewis, and juniors Dan Martin and Donny Craig went on a 10-2 run to bring home the win against the Vikings.

Martin led the team with 22 points.  Craig and junior Schneider Jean-Pierre each scored 10 points.