The game couldn't have been closer and the Warriors took their final lead with 2 ½ minutes to play, only holding on when Menlo's Julian Harris had a game-tying 3-pointer go halfway down before rimming out with less than a minute to play. William Jessup hit free throws down the stretch to add gloss to what was a back-and-forth game it never controlled.

No. 4 Menlo took its final lead when Dejon Grant got all the way to the basket for a score and a 73-71 advantage with 3 ½ minutes left. Second-seeded William Jessup quickly tied the score on a pair of Lucas Domingue free throws and got the ball right back when Grant, who came up huge all night for the third consecutive game, took an ill-advised 3-pointer that didn't even find rim. The Warriors called a timeout with three minutes left.

Jason Washington took the ball out of the stoppage and spun toward the basket for a layup and the lead. The Oaks lone senior, Tim Kees, answered with a driving score of his own to tie it at 75 with 2 ½ to go. That's when Menlo ran out of answers.

Washington missed a 3-pointer, but Damal Neil grabbed an offensive rebound and forced his way toward the rim where he was fouled by Menlo's Andrew Young. Young left with five fouls and Neil made both free throws for a 77-75 lead with two minutes, two seconds remaining.

McCullar missed inside for the Oaks, but grabbed his own rebound and kicked it out to Harris for a 3-pointer that was off. On the other end a Washington shot was blocked by Tyler Rajnus, who was then fouled. With one minute, seven seconds to play and a chance to tie the score, Rajnus missed both attempts and Eleazar Jones was fouled after grabbing the rebound.

After Jones split his free throws for a 78-75 lead, Harris worked his way down the left wing, creating enough space against Neil and Washington for a 3-pointer that spun out with 49 seconds to play. Kadeem Kirsten followed with two free throws that made it 80-75, but the Oaks still had their chances.

Grant was fouled on Menlo's next possession, but split his pair. The Warriors Austin Nelson missed two of his own with 32 seconds to go and the lead stayed at 80-76. Grant pushed the ball up court, but lost control in his haste. The ensuing jump ball went to William Jessup, who added another free throw to its cushion. Down five with 19 seconds to play, Harris forced a 3-pointer under heavy pressure and what looked to be moderate contact, but the shot was off. The next time down Kees was roughed up as he missed a layup too late for it to matter to the men in stripes. Kirsten added another free throw for the final difference.

William Jessup took full advantage of its home crowd and unique gymnasium to score the opening six points of the game. Menlo responded with seven of the next nine points and the game was on. Harris closed the gap to one with a 3-pointer and Rajnus tied it at 11 with a free throw.

Menlo took its first lead at 15-14 on a Kees jumper, but the Warriors answered with 3-pointers from Nelson and Washington for a five-point bulge. The Oaks stayed within striking distance, but couldn't get shots to fall inside the lane against the physical Warriors. William Jessup took its largest lead of the night at 33-25 on a Neil three-point play with two minutes, 41 seconds until halftime.

With a half-ending flourish by the Warriors likely to be fatal to the Oaks chances, Menlo instead dominated the final moments of the half.

Harris hit a long two that Washington followed with a free throw. Patrick Greene later grabbed an offensive rebound he stuck back in for a score and answered a Neil basket with a three-point point on the Oaks next possession to pull Menlo within 36-32 with just over a minute left.

Drew Davis converted two free throws with 40 seconds remaining and Grant added two of his own with seven seconds to play to knot the score at 36-all heading into the break.

Menlo fell behind to begin the second half, but was right with the Warriors, who led 46-42 just more than four minutes in. Grant took it upon himself to turn the tide, making a pair of free throws and then driving all the way for a layup to tie it.

McCullar scored in the lane and Harris added two free throws and the Oaks were suddenly ahead 50-46. After Neil made a free throw, Grant sunk a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer for Menlo largest lead at 53-47 with 14 minutes left.

Ryan Dung hit a big 3-pointer to keep the Oaks in front by four points with just less than 12 minutes remaining, but it would be a back-and-forth battle down the stretch.

After Menlo lost its lead, Harris got it right back with a layup for a 58-57 difference with nine minutes still to play. Harris made a 3-pointer less than a minute later to tie the score at 62 then Kees drove for a tough layup as he was fouled. Kees made the ensuing free throw for a 65-62 Oaks lead with seven minutes, 38 seconds remaining.

Menlo couldn't keep William Jessup from making big plays of its own, though. Jones tied it up with a 3-pointer seconds later and gave his team the lead with a jumper. Harris tied it with a baseline runner before McCullar moved the Oaks back in front with a drive down the lane for two and a 69-67 cushion with five to go.

A Kirsten 3-pointer pushed the Warriors in front by a point, but Kees hit a pull-up jumper that had the Oaks on top by the same margin with four minutes left. Domingue tied it with a free throw before Grant gave Menlo its final lead with 3 ½ to play.

It was another tough ending for the Oaks, who lost 10 games by single digits, including seven by two points or fewer.

Harris led Menlo with 19 points while Kees stepped up in his final game as an Oak to tally 18 on 7-of-13 shooting. Grant came off the bench to net 16 points in 24 minutes. McCullar finished with eight points and five rebounds, and Greene scored five points with four rebounds.

The home rims were kind to William Jessup, who shot 53.8 percent from the field - nearly 59 percent after halftime - and 41.2 percent from the outside. Kirsten made 7-of-8 shots for 21 points while Neil was the same from the field for 20 points and seven rebounds. Washington and Jones scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Menlo ends its season with a 12-16 record and will lose only Kees to graduation. William Jessup is 17-13 and earns the Cal Pac's automatic berth into the NAIA Div. II National Championship, a 32-team tournament beginning Mar. 10 in Point Lookout, Mo.