RIMERSBURG — One rebound.

That was all that stood between the Karns City boys basketball team and the PIAA playoffs.

It was the one rebound the Gremlins couldn't corral that cost them as Keystone (18-7) grabbed an offensive board off a miss with less than five seconds remaining in overtime.

The basketball found its way to Brooks LaVan, who calmly stroked a 3-point shot at the buzzer.

Swish.

Game over.

Season over for the Gremlins (16-8).

Keystone 58, Karns City 56 in a District 9 2A consolation game Tuesday at Union High School.

“We did a great job on our first effort defending,” said Karns City coach Chris Bellis. “They got the offensive rebound and they knocked down a shot. You have to close out possessions with defensive rebounds and we didn't get one. They out-executed us at the end. We were one rebound away.”

The game had the atmosphere and intensity of a lose-and-go-home affair.

With the win Keystone wrapped up a spot in the PIAA 2A playoffs.

Keystone coach Greg Heath said ultimately the stakes didn't matter.

This was going to be a back-and-forth kind of game regardless, he said.

“If these teams played 10 times, we would each win five,” Heath said. “That's how close and even these teams are. Both games this year were very close. I think every time we've played them in the last five years the games have been very, very close. It's just been a competitive, close rivalry.

“I have to say I feel bad for the Karns City kids right now,” Heath added. “I know what it's like to lose a game like that. I'm feeling for them, but I feel pretty happy for our kids, too.”

Momentum shifted back and forth between the two teams throughout.

Keystone build a 20-14 lead in the second quarter and entered the half with a 22-17 advantage.

The lead swelled to 28-20 in the third quarter before Karns City began chipping away.

Chase Beighley was a big part of the Gremlin rally. The guard hit three 3-pointers in the frame and scored 11 as Karns City led 36-35 after three quarters.

“Chase brought us back and made some huge shots in the third quarter,” Bellis said.

Karns City's lead swelled to seven midway through the fourth before Keystone turned the tables.

The Panthers went on a 10-0 run to take a 47-44 lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation, but Austin Fahlor drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 30 seconds on the clock tie the game.

Neither team could score on its chances in regulation.

In overtime, Karns City had a 54-50 lead after a 3-pointer by Fahlor, but again Keystone rallied.

Down by a point late, Dawson Steele took an off-balance shot on a drive that bounded off the rim.

Isaak Jones got the rebound and passed it to LaVan, who nailed the game-winner.

“You could tell when it left his hand it was going to go in,” Heath said. “He wasn't the least-bit phased by the moment.”

Fahlor and Beighley each finished with 20 to lead Karns City.

Troy Johnson paced Keystone with 16 points off the bench.

Keystone was determined to limit Nathan Waltman inside. Its 2-3 zone on the small floor at Union was particularly effective in slowing down Waltman, who had a monster game against the Panthers the last time the two teams met.

“I thought Chris made a real good adjustment when he put a fourth shooter on the floor,” Heath said. “It really stretched our zone out quite a bit. They started to find some openings there.

“Waltman — he's a man,” Heath added. “He's just a man.”

The loss and suddenness of it was a tough pill to swallow for Karns City.

“I think it's a lot less about the last shot and more about other things,” Bellis said. “We didn't execute some things the way we needed to.”

KARNS CITY 56

Austin Fahlor 7-13 3-5 20, Erik Pfeifer 0-1 0-0 0, Chase Beighley 5-9 6-9 20, Ethan McElroy 3-5 0-0 9, Nathan Waltman 1-1 5-6 7, Luke Garing 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Wimer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-29 14-20 56.

KEYSTONE 58

Max Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Isaak Jones 3-11 2-2 8, Dawson Steele 4-11 3-5 11, Andrew Lauer 3-3 0-1 7, Brooks LaVan 4-7 0-0 11, Troy Johnson 4-9 6-9 16, Luke Hurrelbrink 1-4 0-0 2, Brandon Kapp 1-1 0-1 2, Connor Exley 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 21-49 11-18 58.

Karns City 10 7 19 11 9 — 56

Keystone9 13 13 12 11 — 58

3-point goals: Karns City 10 (Fahlor 3, Beighley 4, McElroy 3); Keystone 6 (Lauer, LaVan 3, Johnson 2)