Estrada Leads Faith Baptist Revival, 71-70 : Prep basketball: Senior guard scores three baskets in the final minute to spark a comeback victory over Campbell Hall.

An old-fashioned revival meeting is being held this week in the church at Faith Baptist High, the evangelical variety that packs the house and sends the flock home with a warm feeling.

On the other side of campus, in the school gym, anybody looking for athletic salvation Thursday needed to look no further than Alex Estrada.

Estrada made a pair of near-miraculous shots in the game’s final minute to lead Faith Baptist to a 71-70 win over Delphic League rival Campbell Hall.

His last basket, over Campbell Hall’s 6-foot-10 center, Alex Lopez, was an off-balance, one-handed, 10-foot jump shot that somehow fell through with four seconds remaining to hand the Contenders the victory.

Divine intervention?

“I think I had an angel in my pocket,” said Estrada, a senior guard. “I just flew up there and took the shot.”

The victory kept Faith Baptist (17-5, 8-1 in league play) within striking range of Crossroads (12-9, 9-1) in the race for the league championship.

Campbell Hall nearly ruined the Contenders’ shot at the league title, however.

The Vikings led, 61-51, with 5 minutes 25 seconds remaining and Faith Baptist had yet to score in the fourth quarter. Peter Rasmussen (16 points) finally ended the drought with a pair of free throws with 5:14 left.

It started an 11-0 run that ended on a monster dunk by Etienne Moore (15 points, 23 rebounds) with 3:42 remaining that gave Faith Baptist a 62-61 lead.

But Lopez (21 points) hit a pair of free throws and Austin McKellar (26) scored on a fast break and two free throws to give Campbell Hall a 67-65 lead with 1:55 left, which is when matters got interesting and Estrada got serious.

Estrada, a preseason All-State Division V selection who finished with 18 points and seven assists, answered with a running jump shot over three players with 55 seconds left to tie the score.

Lopez scored inside with 40 seconds left, was fouled and made the free throw.

During the ensuing timeout, Faith Baptist Coach Stuart Mason and Moore got into a heated discussion on the bench, which ended when Moore stormed out of the gym. He later returned.

When play resumed, Estrada scored on a bank shot to cut the deficit to 70-69 with 30 seconds left. Faith Baptist then fouled Taylor Williams with 13 seconds remaining and called time out.

As a handful of Crossroads players screamed encouragement from the sideline, Williams missed the front end of the one and one. Estrada pulled down the rebound and bolted up the floor.

Mason considered calling another timeout.

“On one hand, he had the whole floor in front of him and that’s where he excels,” Mason said. “But I was still thinking, ‘Should I call it? Should I call it?’ ”

Yes, call it a victory. Estrada threw in a running lob over a leaping Lopez to give Faith Baptist a one-point lead with four seconds left. Campbell Hall (12-7, 6-3) attempted a 70-foot inbounds pass to Lopez, but it was batted away. It marked Faith Baptist’s second one-point victory in two days.

“It’s almost like it was two years ago,” Mason said, referring to the Contenders’ improbable Southern Section 1-A Division title run of 1990. “The Lord’s really been good to us.”