A jumper in the lane by Andrew Splechter and a three from Wolfe trimmed it back down to 59-54. But after going just 5-for-15 from the foul line in the first 31 minutes of the game, the Wildcats went 8-for-8 in the final 61 seconds.

Anthony Ucci and Nehemiah Goodman both hit a pair and Noelle converted four straight to help Marion secure the win and advance to the regional semifinals, where the Wildcats will face No. 1 seed Mt. Vernon at 6 p.m. Wednesday. All remaining regional games will be played at Mt. Vernon High School.

“Our kids played well enough to win tonight,” Farmer said. “We had some good looks in that fourth quarter that just didn’t go down. We had nothing to lose tonight. We were the underdogs. I told the kids to just come out and play hard – and they did that. When you look back on this game, one or two possessions was the difference.”

Early on, the Hearts didn’t look like the underdogs.

Logan Heil and Wolfe both had five points in the first eight minutes, as EHS grabbed a 12-9 lead. After a three-point play by Noelle tied the score, a three-point play at the other end by Splechter started a 9-0 run for the Hearts. Wolfe had a basket and Splechter added a pair of three throws and another bucket to make it 21-12.

It was still a nine-point spread, 27-18, when the momentum of the game changed. After turning the ball over twice in the first 14½ minutes, the Hearts turned it over four times in the final 90 seconds. The Wildcats responded with a quick 10-2 run to close out the first half, including a buzzer-beating drive by Reece Anthony to get Marion within 29-28 at intermission.

“We made some mistakes during that stretch, that’s for sure,” Farmer said. “We took a couple quick shots we didn’t need, plus there were some bad passes in there. We just made some bad decisions and it cost us. We could have had a nice lead at halftime.”

While Noelle was the leader for Marion, the third-quarter shooting of Brady Jackson was also a factor. He only took four shots in the first half, but then went 3-for-3 – all from behind the arc – in the pivotal third period. The first two put the Wildcats on top to stay, 36-32. His third one extended the lead to 47-38.

The Hearts got a pair of foul shots from Wolfe and a bucket by Splechter to get within five, but they trailed 49-42 heading into the final eight minutes.

Splechter, one of five seniors for the Hearts, ended his career with a terrific offensive performance of his own. He hit 11-of-18 shots and finished with a team-high 30 points. Wolfe, another senior, was also in double figures, adding 19.

Noelle had a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to his 39-point scoring outburst. Jackson added 14 points, and Goodman was strong on the boards. He pulled down 13 rebounds, including multiple boards that kept offensive possessions alive for the Wildcats. They outrebounded EHS 32-22.

The Hearts shot 42 percent from the floor, connecting on 21-of-50 attempts. They were 5-for-16 from three-point range and 14-for-19 from the foul line.

“I’m going to miss these seniors,” Farmer said. “Garrett was an outstanding leader; our rock. Andrew (Splechter) turned into an outstanding basketball player; a kid that can really attack the basket. Donnie (Andrew Donaldson) is a very good shooter that developed into a little bit of a slasher. His game improved a great deal. Logan was our longest and strongest post player. He worked so hard to develop his game. And Gunner (Brown) was our energy guy all year.”

The Hearts season ended with an 11-20 record.

“If you look at the record, you will think we had a subpar year,” Farmer noted. “But we were only five or six possessions away from having 15 or 16 wins rather than 11.

“But that record is not indicative of our talent or of the effort these kids gave every night,” Farmer added. “It’s one of the most fun seasons I’ve had as a coach. And that’s because of these kids. I’m really proud of them.”