It was a game of runs and Varsity had the last one.
The lead had changed hands 16 times when Harry Gordon finished in transition, giving the students the upper hand with 35 seconds to play against the Andy Bay Falcons.
Varsity closed out the win from there, edging the Falcons 79-75 in the Dunedin men’s club game on Saturday.
It was the students’ second win in four weeks, having also won a tight one against the St Kilda Saints on opening day.
The result creates an unlikely three-way tie in third place, with the Saints and City Rise Bombers, each on two wins.
Certainly this is not the Falcons team of past seasons, but the win is encouraging nonetheless for a Varsity team that has struggled in recent years.
William Fredrick led the students with 18 points, the guard especially dangerous in the mid-range off the dribble.
It was his ability to hit from deep that gave Varsity its flying start, though.
He got to the hoop, then sunk two three-pointers to take them to a 17-9 lead.
Falcons centre Alex Yarnall began to help his team back.
The team’s longtime big man had a dominant stretch on either side of the first quarter break, finishing well around the hoop to bring the Falcons back to a 22-19 lead.
But like everything in this game, that lead was short-lived.
Elijah Velasco had six points in a 9-0 run for Varsity, propelling them back ahead, before Toby Lewis (24 points) helped the Falcons back to a 37-34 halftime lead.
Varsity hit back after the break, Morgan Aiono (15 points) igniting a quality second half, proving dangerous off the dribble and getting to the hoop.
A 12-0 run for the Falcons midway through the quarter gave them a 58-50 lead heading into the final break.
But a flurry from Manato Collins (nine points) helped reel that in, and the lead went back and forth through the fourth quarter.
However, it was Varsity that was able to back up its baskets at the defensive end, down the stretch.
Lewis hit a Dirk Nowitzki-style mid-range fadeaway, with just over a minute to play, giving the Falcons a 75-72 lead.
But they were unable to respond at the other end. They essentially watched as Aiono came off a screen and waltzed through the lane for an open lay-up in the half-court.
He hustled back, and as Lewis drove at him, stole the ball and found Gordon, who finished the go-ahead lay-up in transition.
From there Varsity closed the game out at the line, notching a second victory and keeping the Falcons winless.
In other games the Mid City Lions upset the previously unbeaten Mid City Magic 78-70.
Back-court duo Noah McDowall and Christopher Christof led the Lions with 20 and 18 points respectively, as they joined the Magic in a tie at the top of the table.
Lawson Morris-Whyte had 26 points as the St Kilda Saints held a handy lead through most of the second half, beating the City Rise Bombers 87-74.
