Northview couldn’t hold onto two 10-point leads in the third quarter, and Jay made a 4-point play with 5 seconds left as the Chiefs fell 58-56 in district action Thursday night.

The Chiefs led 45-35 after Bradley Van Pelt drained seven points straight in the third quarter. Van Pelt led NHS with 21 points, scoring 12 alone in the third quarter.

After a mid-range jumper by Van Pelt, the Chiefs led 47-37 for a short time before Jay’s Justic Brewton scored a 1-and-1 to cut it to eight.

“We weren’t playing defense like we were supposed to,” NHS boys basketball coach Mandell Smith said. “We were letting them into our zones and our plan by helping their back side and weak side.”

JHS cut the game to three late in the fourth and by two on the front end of a pair of free shots by Jackson Flowers with 1:19 left.

With less than a minute left, Flowers tied the game on a jumper, and after a missed layup opportunity after a steal by JHS, the Chiefs took a timeout with 26.7 seconds left to regroup.

Out of the timeout, Northview’s Neikel Robinson drove the lane and got an and-one play in his favor. However, he missed the free throw to keep it at a two-point game with 16.1 seconds left.

JHS took a time out that helped set up the 4-point play.

Jay’s Dutch Burkhead got out on top of the key, but was fouled as he shot the ball. Burkhead made the free throw, and the Chiefs made a last-ditch effort, but it came up short.

In the first quarter, the Chiefs and Royals went back and forth.

Robinson made a layup after Van Pelt got a key block to give the Chiefs a 6-5 lead.

After missing a pair of free shots, M.J. Jones got payback with a 3-pointer for a 12-10 advantage.

Van Pelt then made his first of five 3-pointers to send the Chiefs into the second with a 15-10 lead.

NHS led 30-27 at halftime after a shooting spree of a second period. Van Pelt made two 3-pointers and Quetin Sampson added in the effort for the Chiefs.

Robinson and Sampson chipped in 10 and 13 points, respectively, for NHS.

In junior varsity action, the Chiefs beat Jay, 41-18 in a rout.

Joseph Johnson led NHS with 14 points.

NHS is back in action tonight at Flomaton. JV starts at 5 p.m., and varsity tips off at 6:30.