Escambia County’s Lue Williams hit a 3-pointer with 19.9 seconds left for the eventual game winner as the No. 9 Blue Devils defeated UMS-Wright 66-65 on senior night in Atmore.

With 33.3 seconds to go in the game, UMS-Wright’s Trey Bonham made two crucial free throws to go up by two.

The play for ECHS was what it calls Golden State, Blue Devils coach Rodney Jackson said. Williams posts up and slides out to the perimeter, where we awaits the ball for the shot.

“He had a big shot,” Jackson said.

With the victory, ECHS improves to 16-5 overall, and 3-2 in Class 4A, Area 1. For a three-way tie and a coin flip, the Blue Devils will need for UMS to beat Williamson on Jan. 29 in Mobile. Both UMS and Williamson have W.S. Neal still to play on the season.

The last time ECHS and UMS played, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs topped the Atmore team 64-58 on Jan. 8.

Jackson said the boys, especially the seniors, executed well the entire game.

The Blue Devils played an interesting first period as they put up four 3-pointers during the opener, but trailed 19-12. UMS pounded the basket and made some outside shots to take the lead.

Martin Montgomery made a 3, Bonham got a basket off of a put back and Keyshawn Woodyard made a 3 to name a few for the Bulldogs in the opener.

In the second, Williams got the ball rolling with an opening 3-pointer, and then followed it up some time later with two field goals to cut it to 26-20. He then added a field goal off of transition to make it a four-point game.

Sean Marshall then hit a 3 with 2:23 left in the second, Deandre Freeman got a field goal off a steal to cut it to three and Dimitri Barnes drained a 3-pointer after Malik Brown got a drive to the basket. At halftime, the game was tied at 32 apiece.

Jackson said the boys sped up the first quarter a bit, causing them to not make any shots.

“We settled in the second quarter, and got in a rhythm,” he said. “We pressed them well.”

Jackson said execution and attacking the basket, along with kicking the ball out were key in the second period.

Good defense in the third period allotted the Blue Devils enough room to stay in the game with the Mobile team.

Allen Patterson got a floater to go, Williams made a field goal off of an offensive rebound and Jordaun Patterson dished it to Williams to give ECHS its third lead of the game.

Williams and Jordaun Patterson traded drives to the basket, but Bonham drained a 3 at the end of the third to give UMS a 49-48 lead.

The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 55-49 after Woodyard 3-pointer, but the Blue Devils kept up its defensive pressure, forcing turnovers to points.

Virgil Peoples drained a pair after fighting underneath, and Jordaun Patterson made a 3 with 4:22 left in the game for another lead.

Peoples added another layup, and Woodyard then tied it at 63-all with a rebound and a put back.

The Blue Devils then called a timeout with 1:24 to go, ate some clock, hit the eventual game winner and Woodyard missed two free throws with 7.8 seconds left.

Bonham led UMS with 24 points; Woodyard had 22 points; and Brink Bedsole an Andrew Allen had eight points each.

Williams led ECHS with 27 points; Jordaun Patterson had nine points; and Allen Patterson had seven points.

In girls action, UMS won 44-31.