It only took a few seconds, but after it was over, Phoenix Obermann felt he knew that the game was, ostensibly, over.

Leading by just two points in the final seconds of the third quarter of the Community Classic game at Wright City, Obermann launched a half-court shot that found the bottom of the net.

The shot helped propel Liberty Christian to the 58-39 win.

“We actually have a play for a couple seconds (left on the clock) to hit a three but I was just left wide open,” Obermann said. “I have a pretty quick release to get the shot off, and as it left my hands and got closer and closer, I was like, 'That looks in' and it was a very exciting shot. After that shot, I had confidence we had this game in the bag.”

Bolstered by the shot, Liberty (21-8) outscored the Wildcats (6-20) by a 21-7 margin in the final quarter to earn the victory.

Eagles Coach Butch Clark said the shot and, subsequently, a potent half-court trap lifted the team going forward through the final eight minutes.

“The shot, probably, was the turning point in the game,” Clark said. “I don't know if it deflated them any, but I felt like we certainly had a boost of energy when that shot went in.  When you only have 1.3 seconds left and have to go 84 feet, you might think luck was on our side there, but that is a play we practice several times a week. Then we scored on our first two possessions in the fourth quarter, which gave us a little breathing room.

“I thought our guys responded well in the fourth quarter,” Clark continued. “Our half-court trap seemed to disrupt their offensive flow, and it helped kick-start our transition game.”

Senior forward Willy Mueller, once again, proved dominant on the interior for Liberty as he scored 25 points and collected 17 rebounds to add to his school record for career rebounds.

Obermann added 18 points and seven steals.

“It was a great win, as it was an intense game,” Obermann said. “Both teams really wanted the win since we’re both from Wright City.”

Clark said he could feel how important the win was to Liberty Christian, not having beaten Wright City in either of the teams’ previous two meetings.

“This definitely was not just another game for us,” Clark said. “Honestly, I probably put too much emphasis on it, and I thought the kids played tight most of the night. We missed a lot of opportunities in transition that we usually score on. Wright City did a great job of getting back and contesting those runouts, and we didn't adjust until the fourth quarter.”

With the Community Classic Cup in hand, Liberty turns its focus to the postseason as the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association (MCSAA) state tournament takes place Thursday through Saturday in Joplin.

Liberty is the No. 3 seed in the Division I tournament and will take on Center Place, located in Independence, at 3 p.m. on day one. The semifinals are on Friday, and the championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“We've been struggling a bit offensively the last week or two,” Clark said. “Hopefully, this game will help us get back where we need to be. I think we have enough talent to win, but it's going to come down to us playing together as a team.”