Of the local teams entered in the Hamilton Tip-off basketball tournament this past weekend, Hot Springs came out with one of the best combined records.

The Lady Savage Heat won both of their games at the tourney, beating Darby 40-26 Friday, then defeating Victor 52-38 in the tournament nightcap Saturday.

The boys Heat, meanwhile, were upended Friday by Darby 56-32, then rebounded Saturday evening for an edge-of-the-seat back-and-forth come-from-behind win that was one of the best of the whole tournament.

The Lady Heat were in control of their game with Victor all the way, grabbing a 14-6 lead after the first quarter, then boosting that advantage to 29-13 by the end of the first half Saturday night.

Both teams played even up most of the second half, with each scoring 23 points in the half, but the initial Hot Springs lead was good enough to keep the Lady Savage Heat in the victory column.

The win gave them a 2-0 record for the tournament.

Saturday evening’s Hot Springs vs Victor boys game was one for the books.

A loosely played first quarter resulted in a two-point, 7-5 lead for Hot Springs. That lead, however, did not last long as Victor rallied from six points down to take a 21-20 halftime lead.

The back-and-forth action continued into the third quarter, which saw Hot Springs build a narrow 32-28 lead heading into the final eight minutes of regulation play.

Some timely outside shooting by the Pirates pulled them within two points early in the fourth period, but 6-3 senior post Garth Parker had the answer each time to keep Victor at bay with key rebounds or baskets.

A pair of free throws and a three-pointer pulled Victor ahead 38-35 with just under two minutes left in the game. The two teams then traded made and missed free throws that tied the game at 38 with less than 30 seconds to play.

Hot Springs sophomore Nick McAllister was fouled with just a few ticks left on the clock and missed his first free throw. He then sank the second shot, giving the Heat a 39-38 lead.

A full-court desperation shot by Victor came up short and the Heat held on for their first win of the season.

Both Heat teams travel to Seeley this Saturday for games with the always tough Blackhawks.