APEX - The Middle Creek boys basketball team earned a trip to Greenville next week for the 4-A East Regional with a thrilling 69-61 win over defending state champion Wilmington New Hanover on Friday night.

The Mustangs' season seemed over midway through the second quarter. Coach David Kushner's team was unable to make perimeter shots, and defensively the Mustangs were having a hard time keeping up with lightning-quick Wildcats point guard Rakeen Wilson.

New Hanover (26-3) held a 24-11 lead when Wilson picked up his third foul and left the game with just less than three minutes left in the half.

New Hanover stretched the lead to 15, but the Wildcats stumbled without Wilson, and the Mustangs hit a pair of huge 3-pointers to get back in the game and fire up the large, loud home crowd.

Tom Tankelewicz finally hit the big 3-pointer Kushner had been waiting for to cut the lead to 29-21 with 20 seconds to play. New Hanover then turned the ball over with 2.3 seconds left.

Mustangs junior Garrius Adams took the inbounds pass, dribbled and tossed up a shot just inside halfcourt. The shot banked through. Middle Creek still trailed 29-24, but was back in the game.

"The key was when [Wilson] got the third foul," Kushner said. "Everything we heard said he was the one you had to stop. Then we got those big 3s. And our crowd gave us a lift. It was the best we've had and nice to have a packed crowd like that."

Of course the Mustangs (27-2) still had work to do in the second half. They stayed close and took the lead, 41-40, early in the fourth quarter when Adams drove and dished to Brian Proulx for a layup.

Proulx, a 6-foot-6 senior post player, scored 12 points, playing against New Hanover's 7-1 senior Ty Walker, a Wake Forest recruit, who had several blocks in the game. He scored eight points.

"Some of our guys were intimidated with Walker in there," Kushner said. "But Brian never was. He's come out of his shell, and he's been playing well."

With 5:05 left in the game, Wilson drove to the basket and passed to Walker, whose dunk tied the score, 45-45. Twenty seconds later, Tankelewicz drilled in a 3-pointer from the corner for a 48-45 Middle Creek lead, and the Mustangs led the rest of the way.

Adams led the winners with 24 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter when he hit 9 of 10 free throws. Tankelewicz scored 12 and point guard Kip Kelley added 11.

Antonio Boyd and David Pellom scored 12 each for the Wildcats. Wilson scored 11.

New Hanover coach Franklin McMillian said his team was not looking past Middle Creek.

"This team has never looked ahead. They didn't talk about repeating as champions," McMillian said. "They've taken every game one at a time and been very humble, and I'm very proud of that."

Adams likes what he sees in his team after falling to Panther Creek in the Tri-Eight tournament final.

"We're coming together as a team," the 6-5 junior said. "We know if we lose we're done, and we don't want to be done yet."

Kushner also appreciates the team approach.

"These guys know their roles," Kushner said. "Some guy may just get in for 30 seconds for defense, or maybe play half the game. But there's no animosity, jealousy. It makes this fun."

It also means the Mustangs will play Wednesday in the East Regional.