Delphi saved its best for last Wednesday night, defeating Carroll in a 59-57 thriller in the season opener for both boys teams.

Trailing the entire contest, the Oracles erased a ninepoint third quarter deficit after falling behind by as many as 13 in the first half to pull out a come-from-behind home victory in the first game of the annual home-and-home series between the county rivals.

Jordan Wagner sank two free throws with :03 seconds left to break a 57-57 tie and provide the game-winning points.

The Oracles seemed to take turns in the spotlight during the fourth quarter comeback as several players had key roles in the final period to help Delphi open the season with a win for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign.

With the Oracles trailing 43-34 to start the fourth period, Kris Bender started the rally with three consecutive unanswered baskets, including a three-point play the oldfashioned way, to pull Delphi to within two at 43-41 with 5:05 remaining. This was the closest the game had been since it was 2-1 at the onset.

Wagner then tied the game for the first time since the opening tip at 43 with a basket off the Oracle full-court trap on the ensuing possession with 4:57 left. Four more ties followed in the back-andforth contest to the final buzzer.

Tanner Cripe sandwiched a free throw around Cougar baskets from Kyle Geheb and Chad Griffin, before Austin Hawn began his turn with the first of his three fourth quarter three-pointers to knot the score for the second time at 47 with 2:47 remaining.

Following another Geheb hoop, Dustin Salyer took a turn with a rebound basket to tie it at 49 with 2:13 left.

After a Geheb free throw gave Carroll a one-point lead, Hawn nailed his second three-pointer. Delphi took its first lead of the game at 52-50 with 1:41 on the clock.

The Cougars struck right back with a trey from Tim Ruby to take back the lead at 53-52, before Hawn answered with another threepointer, giving the Oracles a two-point cushion with :55 seconds to play.

After a pair of clutch free throws from Geheb knotted it back at 55, it was Wagner’s turn for the final heroics.

Wagner’s driving layup with :21 seconds remaining gave Delphi the lead at 57-55, only to be answered with a Carroll bucket in the post from Riley Johnson with :07 seconds left, tying the score at 57.

Wagner was then fouled in the backcourt to set-up the game-deciding free throws.

Matt Brown also helped fuel the fourth quarter comeback, battling both defensively and rebounding against the much taller Carroll post players.

The victory snapped a fourgame losing streak to the Cougars, dating to Delphi’s last win on Feb. 1, 2008, in another two-point game decided at the final buzzer at Carroll.

The Cougars struck first in this one, feeding Johnson in the post for the game’s first bucket before racing out to an early 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter at 18-8.

Carroll would build the lead to as many as 13 points in the second period after a Geheb basket at the 3:24 mark extended the lead to 29- 16, before settling for a 33-23 margin at the half.

Geheb led the Cougars with 16 points, with Johnson adding 10, Noah Allen 9, Ruby 8, Drew Yoder, Eric Miller and Griffin 4 apiece, and Jordan Brumbaugh 2.

Hawn led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Bender with 10, Brown 9, Wagner 6, Cripe and Salyer 5 apiece, with Cole Murray adding a trey for 3 and Erik Carpenter a free throw cold off the bench for 1 point.