After coming back from a 15-point first-quarter deficit Tuesday night, the Warrenton boys basketball team found itself down six with just over a minute left in the Class 4, District 8 semifinal in Hannibal.

But with little to no room for error, the Warriors were unable to complete the comeback.

“We came out and were a little timid to start,” Warrenton Head Coach Mark Thomas said after his team’s 62-57 loss to top-seeded Liberty. “That’s obviously the best team we’ve faced all year long. They’re well-coached, plus they’re loaded from top to bottom with talent.”

After Warrenton senior Brenden Smith cut the deficit to two with 54 seconds remaining and Liberty threw the ball out of bounds, Jake Tonioli watched a runner in the lane rim out.

Liberty’s Jayce Catchings was fouled on the inbound pass and converted both free throws to push the Liberty lead to four.

A minute earlier, Smith missed a similar shot that would have put Warrenton within three.

The seven-point swing was enough to put Liberty into the district championship Friday night.

“We had to get the nerves out of the way, but it took us until half to get that done,” Thomas said. “That’s on me to do a better job throughout the year with our schedule and practices and trying to make them understand what we’re trying to do.”

Warrenton played a zone defense to slow down Harvard-bound Kale Catchings, who was visibly frustrated at times.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Thomas said. “He’s a Division-I talent and I think we guarded him very well. He’s gonna get his, but his brother (Jace) is going to be a special one too. He’s (Kale) the biggest guard we’ve seen all year, and he’s probably the biggest post we’ve seen all year strength-wise. That’s a talented group and I think they’re going to go far.”

Warrenton chipped away at the lead in the third quarter with outside shooting.

Junior Jake Tonioli knocked down two 3-pointers, and the Warriors hit four as a team in the frame to give themselves a chance in the fourth.

Warrenton’s insistence on speed and shooting came at a price, however.

“We went small, but when a shot didn’t go in, we couldn’t pull down the rebound,” Thomas said. “I pulled Caleb (Strauss) because I was trying to get as many 3-point shooters out there as I could, and it worked, but when they didn’t fall they automatically got the ball back.”

With 15 seconds left and his team down three, Thomas listened to his players during the game’s final timeout.

“The guys came over and said let’s go for it, and I said OK,” he said.

While most teams would have gone for a quick bucket before fouling, Warrenton spread out as Smith looked for a shooter.

Eventually, he found senior Brandon Molinari in the right corner, who missed deep as the clock ticked down.

“Hats off to Liberty,” Thomas said. “They were ready for us to go for the kill. Most coaches would think we would go for the two and the foul. We didn’t really get what we were going for.”

Warrenton finishes the season 18-9, and will need to replace five seniors — including four starters — next season.

“I think there was a lot of growth,” Thomas said of his players. “I look forward to following these guys in the future, and I hope they come back and embrace the program.”