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The championship game of the 2024 North Stanly Comets Christmas Classic was a throwback game in terms of defense and low point totals.

Host North Stanly, the No. 4 ranked team in the 2A West region, took on one of the top teams in the 1A West, No. 3 College Prep Leadership Academy (CPLA) Royals.

Having lost to the Royals earlier this season, 65-57, the pace and tempo was even more deliberate Monday night. In an old-school classic, the Comets’ last second heroics lifted the hosts to a 49-46 win.

North’s win ended a nine-game win streak for CPLA when two Comets sophomores combined their efforts in the final seconds of the game.

With the score tied at 46 and 35.9 on the clock, North brought the ball up court and got it to senior Jalen Walker. He went around a screen from sophomore Maddox Lowder and passed to the team’s scoring leader, senior and tournament MVP Jack Williamson.

Eventually, Walker drew two defenders in the lane and kicked it to Williamson, whose 3-pointer missed. However, Lowder found himself in the right spot and pulled down the offensive board in between three Royals defenders.

“I’ve been playing that position my whole life. It’s just lots of practice…I jumped as high and hard as I could,” Lowder said.

The sophomore forward found Jack’s brother, sophomore Ben Williamson, open at the three-point line on the right side of the court.

“Props to Maddox for an amazing rebound,” Ben Williamson said.

Looking at the shot, he added, he knew he had to get the shot up.

“I can’t even explain how it felt out of my hands…it felt like money.”

The younger Williamson calmly knocked down the triple with 4.2 seconds left on the clock. Before CPLA could get a timeout, the clock ran down to .9 seconds.

Officials put .4 seconds back on the clock, enough time for the Royals to take a half-court heave, but the shot was wide right and North had the victory.

Jack Williamson led North (11-1) with 20 points, 10 coming in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Walker added eight.

Robert Knotts was the top scorer for CPLA (9-1) with 15 points and Tyrie Presley added 11.

The win was the first in a holiday tournament for North head coach George Walker, after having hosted four holiday tourneys when he was Mount Pleasant’s head coach along with four Comets Classics, including this year’s event.

“We knew this was going to be a slugfest,” Coach Walker said. “We had to be the tougher team. We challenged (the players) the last two days, ‘Bring your guts. Bring everything you’ve got. Bring your toolbox and bring your hardhat: we’re going to work.’ ”

Regarding Maddox Lowder’s efforts, Coach Walker said, “He finds a way to get to the ball. It’s like his hands are magnetized. He’s got a great shot fake, and he had a great night.”

The North coach said he was confident with Ben Williamson shooting the last shot, adding, “that’s a reward for his defensive effort he had on (Knotts). He was in the right spot at the right time and is confident enough.”

The Royals opened the game with a 5-0 run but the Comets gradually pulled to within one point at the end of a low-scoring quarter, 8-7.

In the second, North trailed 14-13 but scored five in a row and led at halftime 18-17.

Jack Williamson’s three-point play with 4:25 left in the third gave North its biggest lead at that point, 27-21.

North maintained the lead for the remainder of the quarter, but the Royals kept the game close. After three quarters, North led 34-30.

The Comets open Yadkin Valley Conference play Jan. 7 at Union Academy.