HURLEY -- A dramatic ending to a dramatic Indianhead Conference season.

Hurley earned a share of the IC title with a 42-41 victory Friday over Washburn, the team they now own the conference championship with.

The Midgets (15-5, 13-3) completed the regular season sweep of Washburn (13-3 IC) in a game to remember.

"The season is such a grind," Hurley coach Gary Giancola said. "For these kids to be rewarded for it, it's special."

Washburn pulled ahead 41-40, and the Midgets called timeout with 1:27 to go in the game. With no shot yet, Hurley called another one with 50 seconds to go.

Giancola made it clear to his players they weren't going for the last shot. But they were quite patient.

A Hurley shot rimmed out, but Hurley forced a jump ball with 20.7 seconds to go. The possession arrow pointed the Midgets' way.

The Midgets missed an inside shot against some solid Washburn defense. They fouled Washburn quickly, and the Castle Guards missed the front-end of a one-and-one free throw with 14 seconds to go.

Dylan Laurin got the rebound and kicked it out to Daulton Levra. As he made his move upcourt, Washburn fouled him with 9.9 seconds to go.

Levra coolly sank both of them to put Hurley up 42-41.

"I just came to the free throw line knowing I was going to make them both," he said.

Giancola said, "You've got to like your chances with Daulton at the line with 9.9 seconds to go. His mental toughness shone through."

Washburn coach Duane Gasperini said his team should not have fouled there, but it was a good call by the referee.

"When you have the lead, you want to play straight up and make them make a tough shot," he said.

With no timeouts called, the Castle Guards missed a shot with Hurley up one. Washburn's Nick Geisen got the rebound and appeared to have a wide-open shot to win it.

But Hurley's Alec Gulan came out of nowhere to block the shot and smash the ball 15 feet back so Washburn was forced to take a desperation shot that didn't fall.

Now that's a way to win a conference title.

Gulan said he saw a Hurley defender leave his man, so he went to work.

"I thought I fouled him at first," he said. "I guess I got all ball."

Giancola thought the shot was in and the game was over. He said he was even thinking what he could tell his players after that.

"And all of a sudden here comes Alec Gulan like Superman out of the corner," Giancola said. "You can't slip a dime under his (Gulan's) shoes most of the time when he jumps, and God bless him, he must have had a 36-inch vertical leap to block that."

Giancola said he knows his kids will always perform in high-stakes games. The Midgets went from losing a heartbreaker to Bayfield Monday to playing more disciplined basketball for a win with the teams scoring in the 40s Friday.

"That just proves that we can grind it out with any team," Levra said.

It was the second conference title in a row for Hurley.

"It's big, especially since we won it back-to-back years," Gulan said. "Now we've got to go for the regional."

It doesn't feel any different having to share it, Giancola said.

"For how balanced and how tough it was, this conference deserves two champions," he said. "Congratulations to them and us."

Gasperini said he was proud of the way his team played in a game with tournament atmosphere.

Levra led a balanced Hurley attack with 14 points. Alex Cook scored 19 points for Washburn. Tyler Olson had 14.

Cook had 13 points in the first half, but assistant coach Scott Erickson suggested putting sophomore Justin Rhenlund on him in the second half.

It worked.

"He is our lockdown guy," Giancola said. "I can't say enough about everybody. Everybody did their part."

Garett Innes came back slowly from a back injury, but he played wonderfully Friday, Giancola said.

"I think the people saw what he has to offer tonight," Giancola said. "He hit a couple of big buckets for us and he was a force in the paint."

The gym was packed with little elbow room for fans. He thanked the community for its support.

No. 2 Hurley hosts No. 7 Chetek Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a WIAA Division 3 regional quarterfinal. No. 6 Phillips goes to No. 3 Washburn the same night.

If the higher seed wins both games, Washburn will come to Hurley again Thursday for a regional semifinal.