PEARLAND — Sometimes a game can come down to whichever team can win the free throw contest throughout the game.

Pearland established a decent lead for most of the game, but the Oilers almost lost the game at the charity stripe.

The Oilers built a 13-5 lead after the first eight minutes and edged Alief Taylor 14-13 in the second quarter for a 27-18 halftime lead.

Sophomore Javonne Lowery led the offensive attack for the Oilers with 10 first half points while Colen James hit a couple of long bombs in the second quarter.

Taylor kept chipping away in the the third quarter 14-11 to cut the lead to 38-32 entering the final period.

The final period proved to be a real test for the Oilers as Kenny Brown was the only player who scored from the field with four baskets.

The rest of the offense was at the foul line and Javen Hedgeman felt the pressure of the game on his shoulder as he shot 10 foul shots.

He managed to hit only four of the 10, but thankfully they proved to be the difference in the game.

"Normally, he's one of our better free throw shooters, but there was just a lid on the goal for him," Pearland head coach Steve Buckelew said. "He just could not get it to go down. Fortunately, we had the four-point lead at the end."

With only 12 seconds left to go in the game and a 50-48 lead, James hit two pressure packed free throws to give the Oilers a 52-48 advantage.

Taylor scored with six seconds to go to cut the lead to 52-50 was able to run out the clock for the district win.

Lowery led Pearland with 13 points while Brown added 10.

Pearland will host league-leading Dawson on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. at The Pressure Pit in a game that could decide the 23-6A title.