(Interstat) — In a frantic finish that defied statistical projections and season-long struggles, the Memphis Hustle edged the Santa Cruz Warriors 108-107 in a G League contest Wednesday afternoon at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi.

The game’s decisive sequence unfolded in the final 25 seconds. Trailing 106-104, Santa Cruz’s Jack Clark, a power forward from Wyncote, Pennsylvania, drained a 25-foot 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to give the Warriors a one-point lead. Memphis called a timeout and immediately went to work. On the ensuing inbounds play, point guard DeJon Jarreau found Tyler Burton cutting to the basket for a 1-foot layup, putting the Hustle back ahead 108-107 with 20 seconds left.

Santa Cruz had two final opportunities to win. After a timeout, Clark struck again, hitting another deep 3-pointer, but it was waved off as he released the shot just after the Warriors called their final timeout. Following the stoppage, the Warriors inbounded to Taevion Kinsey, whose 7-foot floating jump shot in traffic rimmed out as time expired. Jarreau secured the defensive rebound to seal the victory for the Hustle.

The dramatic conclusion capped a game where Memphis led for the majority of the afternoon, building a 32-21 advantage after the first quarter behind 10 early points from Eric Dixon. The Hustle maintained a lead as large as 11 points in the second quarter, but Santa Cruz chipped away, using a 53-45 rebounding edge and interior defense that produced nine blocks to stay within striking distance.

Santa Cruz was led by a dominant performance from Malevy Leons, who posted 19 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 42 minutes. Point guard Deivon Smith added 26 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Clark finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Kinsey contributed 18 points.

For Memphis, balance was key. Burton led the Hustle with 21 points, including the game-winning basket and four 3-pointers. Dixon scored 20, and Jarreau provided a crucial all-around line of 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks off the bench. Nate Hinton, the Hustle’s top star, filled the stat sheet with 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The game was a study in contrasting styles. Santa Cruz attempted 29 more field goals than Memphis, going 41 for 93 from the floor, but was hampered by poor outside shooting, making just 6 of 29 from 3-point range. The Hustle were far more efficient from deep, connecting on 15 of 36 attempts from beyond the arc, which proved to be the decisive statistical advantage.

With the win, Memphis improved its season record to 11-22, while Santa Cruz fell to 10-22. The two teams are scheduled for a quick rematch Thursday afternoon at the same venue. The result was a reversal of the pre-game projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a Santa Cruz victory by 21 points, though its ELO rating system gave Memphis a slight 52.7 percent probability to win.