In a matchup of the top two contenders for the North Yosemite League title, the game between the Madera South boys basketball team and Hoover-Fresno went down to the wire.
It was the defending NYL champion Hoover that hit the big shots Tuesday night, including a dagger 3-pointer by senior shooting guard Ahmad Jones that lifted the Patriots past the Stallions, 58-53, in the league opener at Madera South High.
With Madera South (15-3) trailing 54-53 and 11 seconds left in the game, Jones drained a 3-pointer from the right side of the arc as the shot clock expired to give Hoover (10-9) a four-point lead.
The Stallions had one more possession with 5.5 seconds left but couldn’t get a clear look at a 3-point shot. Daniel Johnson, the 6-foot-4 center, grabbed the rebound with less than a second remaining and hit one of two free throws...