Ethan Vahl is only a sophomore, his high school career just getting started.

And yet he is well versed with Oswego’s recent crosstown history.

Vahl, Oswego’s talented young guard, has been attending games with Oswego East since he was in elementary school. He’d never seen a Panthers’ win.

Vahl had a shot Friday to change all that, to give Oswego its first crosstown win in nine years. But his 3-point shot as time expired in regulation just missed.

He was still celebrating at the end.

Vahl scored 17 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, with a 3-point shot for the lead in overtime.

Oswego made a wild comeback from seven down in the last two minutes of regulation to force overtime, where it beat visiting Oswego East 59-52 to snap a 16-game crosstown losing streak.

As the clock hit zero on Oswego’s first crosstown win since Feb. 10, 2017, Vahl ran to a raucous student section in a jam-packed gym to relish the moment.

“We’ve been wanting this for the longest. I’ve been wanting to have this feeling since I was a little kid,” Vahl said. “I’ve been going to these games, I would see it happen and I just wanted to celebrate in these games.”

Fellow sophomore Cole Jansons had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Graham Schwab scored 11 points for Oswego (10-7, 4-3 Southwest Prairie Conference). For Oswego East (12-4, 5-2), DePaul recruit Mason Lockett scored 25 points and Dshaun Bolden had 15 points and 17 rebounds.

Oswego East led by as many as 10 in the third quarter, and still led 45-38 with 2:24 left after Lockett hit two free throws.

But Oswego scored the last seven points of regulation, the turning point a five-point possession.

Bolden was called for an intentional foul grabbing Jansons, who swished two free throws. Schwab followed with a 3-point shot from the top of the key, making it 45-43 with 1:44 left.

“That was a big swing,” Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez said.

On a mad scramble on Oswego East’s ensuing possession, Oswego’s Mariano Velasco dove for a steal at half court. It turned into Vahl’s breakaway layup for the tie.

“Graham hit that big 3 late in the shot clock and I feel like that sparked us,” Oswego coach Nick Oraham said. “Really proud of these guys, overcoming adversity and continuing to battle.”

Both teams had golden opportunities to win at the end of regulation.

Jansons missed a lob at the rim, and Bolden missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds left. After a timeout, Vahl’s 3-pointer from the left wing was on line but long.

But Vahl’s 3-pointer with 2:58 left in overtime gave Oswego the lead for good at 49-46.

Vahl shot just 4 for 15 over the first three quarters. He seemed to find a spring in his step late. When he wasn’t scoring himself he was setting up teammates like Jansons. Vahl also had six steals.

“I thought I had that shot at the end. I’ll take any ending with a win, though,” Vahl said. “I knew I had to come out with the same intensity in overtime.

“It’s adversity. I go through that a lot and also my teammates, they help me keep my head up.”

Jansons is not the household name that Vahl is as a sophomore, but the 6-foot-11 center had a bit of a coming out party Friday.

Besides his double-double, his presence made it difficult for Oswego East to score at the rim.

“Cole, we talk about toughness and physicality – Cole was unbelievable tonight," Oraham said. “I was real proud of Cole. I thought he finished well. Coming of age for him tonight.”

Oswego East trailed 24-23 at halftime, but seemed to take control of things with a 13-0 run in the third quarter.

Lockett scored nine of his 25 points in the quarter, his thunderous dunk in transition capping off the run. Lockett’s spinning drive and shot over the 6-11 Jansons made it 43-35 with three minutes left.

But the Wolves scored just one point over a five-minute stretch bridging the end of the fourth quarter and overtime after Lockett’s two free throws made it 45-38.

“There were so many times that I felt like we had the lead and there were a lot of things that didn’t go our way, but a lot of things that we didn’t help ourself with,” Velasquez said. “We have to learn from this and move forward.”

Not much has gone Oswego’s way in the crosstown the last nine years. Oraham has only been a part of three of them now, but recognized its significance.

He had Jaylen Jones, Oswego’s star from the last crosstown win, speak to the team this week.

“We talked about since I walked in last year that these rivalry games mean something. You get up a little more,” Oraham said. “It meant a lot to our guys to get that one.”