Lakewood~Whew! It's a good thing basketball games only have four quarters.

Despite being outscored 33-21 in the second half, and being ahead by as many as 16 points, the La Mirada boys basketball team barely hung on Monday night, beating Artesia 52-48- keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Conner Gillett iced the game with two important free-throws with 0.8 seconds left in the game-despite missing two seconds earlier.

At the start of the fourth quarter La Mirada led 40-29, but despite leading the entire game, the momentum seemed to be shifting to Artesia.

What an understatement.

Artesia scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, and at the 5:22 mark, trailed by only five, 40-35. But La Mirada reeled off six straight points of its own and went up by twelve 48-36, with 3:54 left-seemingly putting the game away.

But, in 16 seconds, Artesia scored back-to-back three point field goals. and trailed 48-42. A key  Isaac Luatua blocked-shot with 2:49 left kept the lead at six. Two key Mike Davis free-throws put the Mats back up by eight, 50-42, with 2:03 left.

For the next couple of minutes, La Mirada was held scoreless, and three baskets by Artesia cut the lead to two, 50-48. Gillete then missed both his free-throws at 1.9 left , to put the game away. Then, Artesia  had a shot-clock violation on it's next possession, and it was LM's ball. Gillett was fouled and then went on to hit the two most important free-throws of the season-thus far.

Gillett led all scorers with 17 and had 10 rebounds. Luatua added 10 points and 6 rebounds.