Vinny Scifo scorched the nets for 26 points and helped the Wilmington High School boys basketball Wildcats defeat Hamilton-Wenham, 54-53, in a wild finish Tuesday night in Hamilton.

With a nail-biter victory, the Wildcats (10-1) clinched a spot in the post-season tournament.

Both teams entered the game with identical records, tops in their respective conferences, with the only advantage going to the Hamilton-Wenham Generals in the height department.

The Wildcats battled with the Generals up and down the court, getting clutch shooting from Scifo and Timmy McCarthy (14 points).

In the final minute, the Generals missed several shots under the basket, trailing by one point. Wilmington's Kyle Albanese came down with the rebound and earned possession from a jump-ball as the clock wound down to 1.3 seconds.

On the inbounds pass under the Wilmington basket, Hamilton-Wenham's Colin Kenny grabbed the ball and laid it in as the buzzer sounded, but the shot was ruled too late.

After the wild finish, the Wildcats grabbed the first victory by a visiting team over the Generals (9-2) this season.

Wildcats Head Coach Joe Maiella praised Albanese's toughness and the team's overall defensive effort, along with Scifo's "prime time" performance.

"All our guys played well in the second half," Maiella said. "[The Generals] are a very, very good team and a well coached team. It was a great all-around game for us."