For the first time in weeks, the Upper Perkiomen boys basketball team led deep into the fourth quarter Tuesday.

                Ryan Kendra's basket with 62 seconds remaining staked the Indians to a one-point advantage over Perkiomen School.  "It was fun to play with that kind of pressure," said Jared Krupp, Upper Perkiomen's head coach.          

                However, the lead lasted just 15 seconds. The host Panthers scored the game's final five points to secure a 44-40 non-league victory.

                Martynas Simanavicius, who finished with a game-high 28 points, notched the final four points for Perkiomen School. His driving layup with 40 seconds remaining snapped a 40-40 tie. 

                "Upper Perkiomen gave us everything we could handle," Panthers head coach Mark Longstreth said. "I was happy we could hang on. It's good for us to have some close games heading into the playoffs."

                Charlie Corrao added eight points for Perkiomen School, which can clinch the Tri-County League regular season title and the number-one seed in the league playoffs with a win at Mercy Vocational on Thursday.

                Kendra finished with a team-high 16 points for the Indians (1-19), who finish their season with non-league games against Palisades and Kutztown on Wednesday and Thursday. Zeke Hallman added eight points.

                Down 29-15 at halftime, Upper Perkiomen's defense triggered a comeback. In the third quarter, it limited the Panthers to five points.  Like a linebacker forcing the quarterback into making errant throws, the Indians' defenders pressured the ball handler, according to Krupp.  "We pressured the ball and jumped passing lanes," he said.

                Perkiomen School's offense couldn't get into a flow in the third quarter, according to head coach Mark Longstreth.  The energy created on defense fed into Upper Perkiomen's offensive success throughout the second half, according to Krupp.

                Trailing 34-23 at the end of the third quarter, the Indians mounted a 17-5 run. Kendra registered 10 points during the flurry, including two field goals to open the fourth quarter. His follow, on an offensive rebound of his own miss, put them ahead 40-39 with 1:02 remaining.

                Simanavicius, a 6-foot-3 junior who scored seven points in the fourth quarter, commanded the game down the stretch.

                After a free throw by Miles Longstreth forced a 40-40 tie with 47 seconds left, Simanavicius scored the go-ahead basket seven seconds later. The Lithuanian native added two foul shots with 13 seconds to go following a steal by Nicholas Posacco.

                Simanavicius also stole Upper Perkimen's ultimate inbound pass and dribbled away the final three seconds.

                Simanavicius served as Perkiomen School's main ball handler Tuesday. Mark Longstreth described him as a point-forward who can play several positions.  "He allows the other guys to fall back into their regular positions," the coach said.  According to Longstreth, the Panthers will rely heavily on Simanavicius during their postseason run, which begins Monday.

                Paulius Zalys, 6-foot-7 senior from Lithuania who has committed to play Division I college basketball at Lafayette College, recently left Perkiomen School for personal reasons, according to athletic director Ken Baker.