Croy then hit a short jumper followed by a crucial three-pointer from the wing to put the Bulldogs back on top, 39-36, at the 3:01 mark. A pair of free throws by Bryce Budde got the hosts back into a tie, 40-40, with just 38 ticks left, setting the stage for the Croy’s late heroics.

“We talked all week about getting to the fourth quarter and giving ourselves a chance; and we did that,” Bohnhoff said. “We knew we had to control the pace of the game. A score in the 30s or 40s was advantage Dieterich. Scores in the 60s and 70s is not good for us.

“Our game plan went as planned,” Bohnhoff added. “They just made the big shot at the right time.”

“Budde and (Pete) Britton did exactly what I was afraid they would do,” Rincker explained. “They’re a pair of really good guards and they kept their team hanging around. You do that in this gym and you never know what’s going to happen.

“This is a tough place to get a win,” Rincker added. “We’ve come in here through the years expecting to win by a fairly comfortable margin, only to go home with a loss or a very close win. To come out of this game – in this environment – is a great accomplishment. And I like the fact that we won a grind-it-out type of game. I think that will help us down the road.”

Early on, it looked like it might be one of those “comfortable margin” kind of games. Kyle Stewart scored six points and Griffin Sehy and Collin Westendorf both connected from long range to help the Bulldogs build a 16-7 advantage after the initial eight minutes.

A three by Michael Martelli early in the second period gave SAHS its first double-digit lead, 19-9. The Movin’ Maroons scored the next seven points, but Stewart hit a short jumper and Croy knocked down a three to send the Bulldogs to the locker room with a 24-16 edge at intermission.

Sehy converted a Dieterich miscue into a bucket just 20 seconds into the second half to make it a 10-point spread again, but that lead didn’t last long. Lidy scored three points and Budde made two shots from behind the arc, helping DHS go on a 9-0 run to get within 26-25. It was still a one-point game, 30-29, at the end of the third period.

“I felt like we relaxed defensively and just didn’t seem to have the same energy we did early in the game,” Rincker said. “Then they hit a couple shots and that cranked up their tenacity level. They got us out of sync and we just couldn’t seem to get back into a flow.”

Budde and Lidy pace Dieterich with 12 points apiece. The hosts didn’t shoot well from the floor, connecting on just 15-of-47 attempts, a cool 32 percent clip. They were 4-of-18 from long range and 6-of-8 from the foul line.

The Movin’ Maroons are now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the NTC. They will play Tuesday at Lawrenceville.

Croy was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points, while Stewart finished with 12 and just missed a double-double after grabbing nine rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 45 percent overall, making 18-of-40 shots. They were 5-for-15 from three-point range and 1-of-3 from the free throw line.

“Overall, I was pleased with how we played tonight,” Rincker said. “We won a game when we didn’t play our best in a very tough environment. I thought we kept our composure well. Obviously, there are still things we need to work on, but you can say that after every game in every season.”

The Bulldogs have now won seven straight games and are 7-3 overall. They will return to action today (Saturday) at Charleston.