Cony’s Parker Morin dribbles the ball up the floor while being defended by Gardiner's Brady Atwater during the Ram's 71-70 win on Thursday in Gardiner. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

GARDINER — As the ball was in the air, Isaiah Brathwaite couldn’t help but hold his breath.

Moments after a Parker Morin free throw gave the Cony boys basketball team a one-point lead in the final seconds of Thursday’s rivalry battle with Gardiner, the Tigers’ Trace Moody got a clean look from halfcourt. As the ball flew toward the basket, the shot looked to have the right angle.

“You never know with Trace; he’s one of those guys where he’s really good at H-O-R-S-E,” said Brathwaite, Cony’s third-year coach. “Anytime he throws up the ball, it can go in, so I was for sure a little nervous.”

Fortunately for Brathwaite, Moody’s shot hit the backboard and the rim but ultimately didn’t fall. The result was a thrilling 71-70 victory, the Rams’ sixth in seven games after a 2-5 start.

Morin had 26 points and six rebounds for Cony, while Jordan Benedict had 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and seven rebounds. Brady Atwater hit four 3s of his own in an 18-point effort for Gardiner, which had come back from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

“Anytime you’re playing your rival, you always want to strive to play your best, and I feel like we did that tonight,” Morin said. “(The atmosphere) was awesome. … This place is loud, and we love loud environments.”

It was certainly raucous inside James A. Bragoli Gymnasium, and with good reason. With both teams entering the game at 7-6, this was a major showdown in the Class A North standings, and from 55 combined points in the third quarter to Gardiner’s comeback, the quality of play kept fans engaged.

Cony (8-6), which has now moved from eighth in A North three weeks ago all the way to fourth, certainly had the looks of a surging team. The Rams were effective in getting the ball to Morin, who slashed his way for layups and free-throw opportunities.

Then, there was Benedict, whose outside shooting was a major reason Cony held a 34-33 lead over Gardiner (7-7) at halftime. A big showing from beyond the arc has become the norm for the Rams, who boast five of Class A North’s top-20 players in 3-point shooting percentage.

“We just keep shooting and don’t get discouraged,” Benedict said. “If a couple don’t fall, keep shooting; you’ll eventually find your stroke.”

The win in this environment was another impressive one for Cony. Over the past seven games, the Rams also have wins over Brewer and Mt. Blue, two other top Class A North teams. Their lone loss in that stretch was a 51-48 defeat to Messalonskee on Jan. 14.

“We’re trying to traject the right way and continue our success, and the guys are playing hard and finding ways to do that,” Brathwaite said. “To get a win like this, it’s awesome, and hopefully, we can continue from here and close out the season strong.”

After exploding for 32 points in the third quarter, Cony had led the game 68-56 with six minutes to go before going cold from the field. Gardiner took advantage, rallying to tie the game twice, first at 68 and then at 70 with just over a minute to play.

Cony didn’t plan to run the clock down inside the 10-second mark, but after a Gardiner foul with just under 30 left, Brathwaite drew up a play to get Morin the ball. The Tigers then fouled the junior on a shot attempt, and the first of his two attempts proved to be the game-winner.

“I just tried to calm myself down,” Morin said. “I knew they were going to be loud, but I love it. … It’s always good to get a win against your rival.”

Gardiner showed great resilience in the loss. A sequence of two quick steals and baskets following a Brayden Elliott layup cut what been a 10-point Cony lead to four in the blink of an eye, and minutes later, it was only by a matter of centimeters that the Tigers’ last heave was denied.

“We came together as a unit in that fourth quarter,” said Gardiner coach Aaron Toman. “We came out on the wrong side of things, and it hurts right now, but I give 100 percent credit to our guys. We’re going to use it as a growth opportunity.”