It appeared another letdown was on the horizon for the Wright City boys basketball team on Tuesday. The Wildcats led by 17 midway through the third quarter but let Montgomery County battle back to tie the contest. Coach Mark Scacewater breathed a sigh of relief when the final buzzer sounded - his team making a narrow 62-60 escape. The triumph snapped a losing skid in which the Wildcats lost four games by a combined eight points. "In the midst of the close losses, this was not only a riveting game, but it was an epic win because we needed the taste of victory after losing four consecutive games at the buzzer," said Scacewater. With his team in danger of suffering deja vu and surrendering another lead, the second-year coach decided to turn the attention toward offense.. "I thought (the press) got us the big lead," said Scacewater. "We could have stuck with it, but adjustment-wise I felt like saving our legs for offense was probably our best bet.". That offensive motor began clicking immediately, as the Wildcats drove the lane at will. They continuously attacked Montgomery County's interior game, building a 6-1 lead early. "I didn't think we were going to use the dribble-drive that much," explained Scacewater. "I really wanted to focus more on our post players. But when we saw how easy everyone was driving right into the middle of the paint, it's hard to get away from that offense.". The Wildcats 18-10 lead after the first quarter was the product of scoring by six different players. Early three-pointers by junior Brandon Bote and sophomores Brent Ringes and Zach Kowalik caused Montgomery County's defense to turn its attention to the perimeter. Wright City point guard Shakar Butler recognized those tendencies. "Coming down the court I noticed they were in a sagging man, like a help line," said Butler. "I think Bote and Kowalik hitting a couple threes made them step out on the shooters more and allowed me to penetrate a little easier." The senior scored eight of his 12 points during the first half. The Wildcats kept their opponent at bay in the second quarter, presenting too many obstacles in the paint for the host team. Scacewater was particularly content with how his post players complemented one another. As a frequent source of double-doubles, junior Deon Bradshaw drew much of the attention in the paint. When the defense collapsed on Bradshaw, Mike Abrolat attacked from the weak side. Abrolat's backdoor buckets helped Wright City to a 37-26 halftime advantage. "This is the second game that Mike has played really well in a supporting role," remarked Scacewater. The Wildcats scored consecutive buckets on their initial two possessions of the second half, grabbing their largest lead at 43-26. "Our goal was to continue the tempo and press on defense, while pushing the ball on offense," Scacewater asserted. Montgomery County appeared to be less affected by Wright City's pressure as the game unfolded. The host team used its aggression on the boards to cut the margin to 52-41 after three quarters. "They played really well down the stretch. They pressured us, and we turned it over," said Scacewater. "I think we were tired, because we ran at them all game on offense and defense with our press. I think that took its toll, because we're only eight or nine deep." Montgomery County's comeback bid carried over into the fourth period, as it proceeded on a 17-4 run to tie the game at 56-56 with 2:44 remaining. Bradshaw put the Wildcats back in control on a conventional three-point play with 2:11 left. He added a putback moments later to push his team ahead by five. Montgomery County continued to pursue the offensive boards and drew to within one with 26 seconds left. Butler intervened, stepping into a verbal leadership role. "I said, 'Hey, we've got to pull this together!'" he recalled. "Games like this should never happen. We've got to learn how to put teams away. Letting them back in just makes it more nervewracking." Bradshaw connected on the front end of a pair of free throws to put Wright City back ahead 62-60. The final defensive stand didn't result in a clean look for Montgomery County, allowing Scacewater's team to avenge a defeat that began the losing stretch on Dec. 21. Bradshaw finished with 15 points, while Abrolat and Ringes each had nine. The Wildcats went 6-16 from the free-throw line, including 2-of-8 in the fourth quarter. "I saw great effort from the guys tonight," said Scacewater. "Again, I think the theme here is that we played good for three-and-half quarters. Then, at the end of the game we broke down defensively a few times... We did enough to get the win, even though we made it a little closer than we should have."