SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : BOYS 3-AA : Estancia Stops Servite in Overtime, 51-49

Estancia High School’s Agustin Heredia plays basketball as if he owns the game.

Wednesday night, the 5-foot-10 senior guard made a huge investment in Estancia’s 51-49 overtime victory over Servite in the Southern Section 3-AA Division boys’ basketball championship game in front of 4,428 fans in UC Irvine’s Bren Center.

First, Heredia made a 12-foot baseline shot with three seconds remaining in regulation, tying the score, 46-46. Then he made five free throws to account for all of his team’s points in the three-minute overtime, giving Estancia (20-5) its first Southern Section title.

Servite (17-11) had taken a 46-44 lead when guard Paul Stapleton made a free throw with 13 seconds remaining.

Estancia called a timeout with nine seconds remaining and set up a play for Heredia, who finished with 32 points. Heredia hit nothing but net.

“You know what he asked me during the timeout?” said Tim O’Brien, Estancia coach. “ ‘Do you want a two or a three?’ There was no doubt he was going to make the shot and tie the game.”

Servite struggled to make its free throws, sinking only 13 of 27. At one point, Servite was 7 of 17 at the line.