Boseman Saves His Best for Last : Basketball: Morningside standout makes a three-point basket with 12 seconds left to give the Monarchs a 62-60 victory over Artesia.

Just when the Morningside High basketball team had appeared to run out of luck, Stais Boseman made a three-point basket with 12 seconds left to lift the Monarchs to a 62-60 victory over Artesia in a nonleague game at Gahr High Saturday night.

“It was just a lucky shot at a lucky time,” Boseman said. “I thought it was going to be long.”

Artesia, the defending State Division II champion, had rallied from an 18-point first-half deficit to take the lead with 33 seconds left. Avondre Jones made a three-point play to give Pioneers a 60-59 lead.

The 6-foot-10 center had a game-high 33 points, including 15 in the third quarter to help Artesia cut a 15-point halftime deficit to 51-44 at the end of the third quarter.

Boseman finished with 19 points, 12 coming on three-point baskets. Donminic Ellison had 15 points and Corey Saffold had 12 for Morningside, the defending State Division III champion. The Monarchs are 16-4. Artesia is 13-3.

Boseman gave Morningside a 57-52 lead on a basket with 3:33 to play, but Jones scored on a dunk and Shawn Caracoza made a three-point basket to cut the deficit to 58-57 with 51 seconds left.

“We didn’t expect them to roll over and die,” Boseman said. “We just got caught up in the anticipation of the game. They just wore us down.”

Morningside raced to a 20-12 lead at the end of the first quarter and opened a 33-16 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Monarchs used a 12-4 run to take a 40-25 halftime lead.

Saffold made a three-point play to start the second half to give Morningside a 43-23 lead.

Jones scored 15 of Artesia’s first 17 points in the third quarter, including 11 in a row, to help the Pioneers close to within 43-40 with 3:11 left in the third quarter.

Charles O’Bannon had 15 points for Artesia.