AMERICAN FALLS - Preston Crompton had a hard time putting into words how he felt as he watched his shot trickle over the rim and through the net with 5.1 seconds remaining in American Falls' 45-44 home win over Aberdeen on Saturday.

Crompton's body language said it all, though. Clenching both his fists and letting out a roar, he surely was feeling the same euphoria that was surging through his Beavers teammate Nate Villalobos.

"I was happier than happy," Villalobos said.

Crompton's wondrous shot, along with Beavers post Devin Mock's game-high 16 points, helped 3A American Falls withstand a furious second-half charge by its 2A neighbors. The Beavers avenged an earlier loss at the Tigers' gym in what has become one of the most passionate rivalries in the southeast Idaho.

The fact that they had lost the last game of their careers against their bitter rivals wasn't lost on Aberdeen's seniors, who left the gym with a subdued demeanor in stark contrast to the Beavers' jubilation.

"It's a heart-breaker," Aberdeen senior Trevor Spence said. "That hurts."

American Falls (4-4) never once trailed until early the fourth quarter, when a Marcus Shelman basket nudged Aberdeen ahead 36-34. The teams then traded scores through the period, with neither team leading by more than two.

A pair of free-throws by Cody Snyder, who nailed all eight foul shots he took and scored a team-high 12 points, gave Aberdeen a 44-43 lead with 24 seconds remaining.

American Falls had one last chance, inbounding the ball under its own basket with 9.1 seconds left. Steven Mancilla missed a contested jumper, but the ball ricocheted to Crompton, who somehow heaved in the ball while being battered by several Aberdeen defenders.

"It just fell into my hands," Crompton said. "I guess I got pushed or something. I didn't feel it. I just went with it."

Crompton missed the ensuing free-throw, though, giving the Tigers one last lifeline with 4.5 seconds remaining. Steven Elliot drove all the way into the American Falls paint and slammed into two Beavers defenders as time expired. The referees' whistles stayed quiet, prompting the Beavers to shatter that silence a split-second later with a raucous celebration on the court.

"I thought there was some contact there, but you can't leave it up to the refs," said Snyder, another Aberdeen senior. "It was our fault that we put ourselves in that position for it to be decided by the refs."

Indeed, Aberdeen had several chances to ice the game. But then again, so did the Beavers. Having trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, the Tigers inched to within 34-32 entering the fourth quarter.

Snyder then took over for the Tigers. They had trouble defending the burly, 6-foot-5 Mock down low, allowing him to get to the line and drain all six of his foul shots in the period. But Snyder answered each score by getting to the line himself. He, too, went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to set up the frantic finish.

True to form, the game ended like so many previous editions of the storied Aberdeen-American Falls rivalry. It went down to the wire, and on this day, the Beavers were just a little better.

"We've been there before," Villalobos said. "We've been trailing a lot this season, so I think we're getting used to it and we know how to deal with it. We come out with wins."

American Falls 45, Aberdeen 44

Aberdeen 7 9 16 12 - 44

American Falls 15 9 10 11 - 45

Aberdeen: Cody Snyder 2 8-8 12, Wade Wahlen 3 3-3 10, Aaron Schritter 4 1-1 9, Trevor spence 2 0-0 4, Marcus Shelman 2 0-0 4, Steven Elliott 1 0-0 3, Bo Duffin 1 0-0 2.

American Falls: Devin Mock 4 8-10 16, Nate Villalobos 4 0-1 9, Jordan Snow 1 1-1 3, Jordan Flores 2 0-0 4, Preston Crompton 4 0-3 10, Tyce Stewart 0 3-4 3.