The Mathews High School boys’ basketball team may have ended its season on Friday night, but they not without one heck of a fight. The regional tournament contest against Washington and Lee went down to the wire, with the Eagles prevailing at the final buzzer, 44-43.

A clutch shot from Caleb Thomas put the Blue Devils up by one point with 12 seconds left to play, but W&L managed to get off a last-second floater, which bounded off the rim and in as time expired. That basket advanced the Eagles to the second round of Region A play against Surry and sent the Blue Devils packing for home.

Mathews dominated from the opening tipoff, jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes of play. The Eagles picked up the pace after the initial run, scoring seven points on the board in the first quarter, but trailing by 11 as the second quarter began.

Washington and Lee stepped up defensively in the second quarter and converted on several Mathews turnovers. The Blue Devils held the Eagl...