NORCROSS, GA -- St. Francis star sophomore Kobi Simmons went coast-to-coast for a lay-up wih 37 seconds left to play to give St. Francis a four-point lead over Miller Grove. It was a crushing basket.

Most everyone thought the game was over.

Well, everyone except Miller Grove sophomore guard Alterique Gilbert. It wasn't over. It was far from over. It was time to take over, Gilbert thought.

Boy did he.

On the next Miller Grove possession, Gilbert sprinted across the floor to get a pass that lead to a three-pointer with 12 seconds to go. St. Francis sat ahead 62=61. But Simmons couldn't catch a pass from Kaiser Gates and turned the ball back over to Miller Grove.

Again, it was Gilbert. And it was go time. The sophomore took the ball to the rim and contorted himself around the St. Francis defense to score the winning lay-up with 3.1 seconds left to play. Miller Grove won 63-62.

Like that, Miller Grove won in the heavyweight game of the GACS/Blue Collar Basketball Showcase.  

"We were counted dead in this game. We really were," Miller Grove head coach Sharman White said. "We were down four with 21 seconds left. I'll be honest with you, we were looking around and trying to figure out what we have to fix by the next game because we can't keep going like this.

"Alterique steps up and makes a big three. We get a great break on the defensive end and then Alterique gets that layup. This is one of the building blocks and we've been through this before."

Miller Grove, quite simply, escaped the jaws of defeat in this one. It wasn't the easiest game to win. In fact, the Wolverines looked quite flat for a majority of the game. St. Francis came out from the start and seemed to be the team that wanted to set the tone.

"We came out flat," White said. "One of the things they have to understand is the bull's eye is a 100 times bigger than last year. I still don't think they internalize that. So, it is one of those things where they have to understand that.

"We have to be the ones throwing punches instead of being the guys that take them. We take punches on a nightly basis over the last four games. We get into the hole."

Gilbert has been one of the best guards in Georgia this season. He was good when it mattered on Saturday night. The sophomore finished with a game-high 19 points. He had help from James Walker and Keith Pinckney, who both scored 14 points apiece.

St. Francis had good balance from across the board. Simmons lead the way with 16 points while Gates added 15. Malik Beasley scored 14 points and Josh Coleman finished with 11.

"It ain't the prettiest way to do it and I think we are better than what we showed today. I think these are the kinds of tests that get you ready for February and March,:" White said. "We can always reflect on these kinds of games."