LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — It was a real dog and cat fight.

On Saturday, February 4, the Wildcats of Livingston Manor (7-5) turned the tables on the Sullivan West Bulldogs 96-8) winning the boys’ varsity game of hoops by one point in the final seconds of the contest.

The matchup was part of the ninth annual Sullivan County Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) vs. Cancer Classic hosted down in “The Bunker” at Sullivan County Community College (SCCC).

The 2017 tournament was dedicated in honor of Rayanne Rysinger, a 2005 Monticello High School graduate who is recovering from brain tumor surgery she underwent as an 11-year-old.

The last time the two teams met, Sullivan West defeated Manor by an impressive 25 points.

But in “The Bunker,” the Wildcats turned the tables on the Dawgs, taking the match at the free-throw line with seconds remaining on the game clock, in a contest that really went down to the wire at the final buzzer.

As the clock ticked down to the  6.8 second mark, Kyle Reimer’s pass to Reis Gieger put the Bulldogs up 46-45.

With two seconds left, Manor’s Dylan Smith stepped up to the charity line, and under a lot of pressure aced both attempts to garner the Wildcats a one-point advantage at 47-46.

To add to the tension on the floor, both shots spun around the rim for agonizing milliseconds before dropping through the net.

Depending upon whose side you were rooting for, it was either a lot of cheers or groans.

As the sizable crowd cheered from both sides of the court, Sullivan West’s Austin Melchick reeled in a last-ditch-attempt pass, but his desperation shot missed the mark.

Manor’s lead scorers: Christopher Alexander (21 points including three threes), Dylan Smith (12), and Allan Ward contributed a three.

Sullivan West: Austin Melchick (18 points, all from outside the arc), Kyle Reimer (11 including a trio of threes), and Brandon Dailey (6 points, all threes).

Stats from the free-throw line: LM 3/4 (75%); SW 2/2 (100%).

“We had a shot,” said John Meyer, coach of the Bulldogs.

Speaking of Manor’s game-winning baskets by Smith at the free-throw line, Meyer said, “He played really well… made the shots when he had to.”

Wildcats coach Adam Larson savored the win.

“Beating them by one at the buzzer is pretty redeeming,” he said, perhaps reflecting upon their previous 25-point loss at the paws of the Dawgs, adding, “They have a heck of a team, some really big players who can really shoot the ball.”

“I’m so proud of my guys for not giving up and continuing to play defensively,” said Larson.”

“Defense, that’s what we’ve lived on all year.”