One of the final games on the 8th grade Saturday slate featured the St. Paschal Knights taking on the hosting University School Preppers.

The Preppers came out firing to start the game, jumping to a commanding 10–0 lead by capitalizing on turnovers and missed shots from the Knights. The scoring run was short-lived, however, as St. Paschal called a timeout to regroup and responded with eight straight points of their own. The back-and-forth scoring continued throughout the half, with the Preppers holding a narrow 15–14 lead midway through. Strong defense from both squads kept scoring limited, and University School entered halftime up 21–18.

Out of the break, both offenses struggled to find rhythm, as turnovers and low-percentage shots slowed the pace. Although each team found occasional baskets, neither could pull away. A run of consecutive threes by the Knights gave them a 29–26 lead with just under eleven minutes left in regulation. The Preppers answered minutes later, regaining the lead 34–31 on a big-time three from Connon McDonnell.

The next stretch was dominated by defense, as both teams forced turnovers and fouls without converting on the other end. Coming out of a timeout, the Knights caught fire—Christian Payne knocked down a three, followed by a tough layup from Tristian Lee—to push St. Paschal ahead 38–36 with just 30 seconds remaining.

With possession, the Knights attempted to drain the clock, but the Preppers came up with a clutch steal and called timeout, setting up one final play to decide the game. After pushing the ball up the floor, University School found Cade Nelson in the corner, where he buried the game-winning three.

In an absolute thriller, the Preppers emerged victorious, 39–38.