AURORA – Nursing a one-point lead with less than a minute left, St. Charles East sophomore guard Katie Claussner knew hoisting a 3-point shot might offend her coach’s basketball sensibilities.

But the ball felt awfully good in Claussner’s palms.

Just a few feet in front of the Saints’ bench from the left wing, Claussner let the shot fly, and buried it, the most dramatic moment in a highly entertaining, 68-61 East win against Metea Valley in Thursday’s regular season-closing crossover between the second-place teams in the Upstate Eight’s River and Valley divisions.