HIBBING, MN – What had looked to be a rout instead became a cliffhanger, but Jamestown came away from the first leg of their holiday week journey with success.

Jamestown Blue Jay Boys Basketball lost all of a 15-point lead Friday before hanging on for a 68-65 win over Duluth (MN) Denfeld in the fifth-place game of the North Star State Hoops Showcase at Lincoln Gym.

Denfeld (5-4) put together a 16-1 run for a 63-62 lead late in the second half before free throws by Dalton Lamp put Jamestown ahead for good, followed by an important bucket by Noah Meissner and two more Lamp foul shots.

A desperation three-pointer that would have forced overtime by Denfeld’s Finnley Powell just missed at the final buzzer.

Lamp, who had scored 39 Thursday in a consolation round victory over Bemidji, scored 30 more to lead Jamestown (3-4) to the team’s first back-to-back victories of the season.  Meissner scored 13.  Ryan Larson had 11 points and seven rebounds.  Jack Van Berkom pulled down 10 rebounds.

Powell scored 21 points for Denfeld and Marnaries Ferguson added 17.