Everyone knew Jeremy Lin would take the last shot, but everyone was wrong. With only a few seconds left on the shot clock and only ten seconds left in the game, Lin dished to Steven Brown who drained a three-pointer to seal the 52-46 victory over Laguna Creek.

The Vikings seemed to be in control for most of the game, but the Cardinals scored nine straight in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 46-46. The Vikings had led for the entire game, but they began to see their victory slipping away.

Someone needed to step up and, to no one surprise, it was Lin, who broke the tie with a long three with only one minute left. On the next possession, with the Cardinals deciding not to foul and extend the game, Lin looked inside, drawing defenders from all around. The collapse to guard Lin left Brown wide open, and he did not miss. The Cardinals attempted one last desperation shot, but Kheaton Scott came down with one of his eight rebounds.

“I saw Lin ask for the ball, but then I looked at the clock and saw all zeros,” Scott said. “I knew then that we were going to Arco.”

With the win, the Vikings will travel to Arco Arena in Sacramento on Saturday for the Division II NorCal championship game.

The Vikings (30-1) entered the game having won 21 straight and looked to have similar success to that of last year’s semifinals where the Vikings beat Chico 71-57. Laguna Creek (23-10) came in looking to upset the Vikings. The Cardinals beat the defending state champion Oak Ridge in the San Joaquin Section playoffs and knocked off Chico on Tuesday.

“They’re [the Cardinals] very balanced just like us,” said head coach Peter Diepenbrock. “We just need to play better.”

In the quarterfinals, the Vikings beat Richmond 85-51, but Diepenbrock felt they still needed improvement.

“We need to improve our interior defense and box out better,” Diepenbrock said. “But it is hard to lose when you score 85 points.”

The Cardinals were led by senior guard Mark Clark who averages close to 20 points per game and scored 32 in the win over Oak Ridge.

“We need to put bodies on him [Clark],” Lin said. “We need to force him to take difficult shots.”

The Vikings opened the game on fire taking an early 11-2 lead thanks in part to a five-point play. After making the basket and drawing the foul, Lin missed the free throw, but the Vikings got the rebound and senior Brad Lehman drilled a three-pointer. The Cardinals responded quickly with a 14-7 run to cut the first quarter lead to four.

In the second quarter, the Vikings, not surprisingly, relied on the three-pointer. The Vikings played stellar defense and hit four threes, giving them a 34-20 lead. With only six seconds left, Clark drove past the Vikings defenders and hit an off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer.

Lin, who missed the NorCal playoffs last year with a foot injury, led all scorers in the first half with 15. Lin wanted the win more than anyone on the court. Less than a minute after being hit in the eye, Lin was back in leading his team.

“I couldn’t see well for a while,” Lin said. “But I wasn’t coming out for long.”

Neither team shot well in the third quarter, but the Cardinals managed to cut the lead to nine. The Vikings, normally a strong second half team, appeared to have the game under control, but there was still one more quarter to go.

The Vikings continued to play good defense limiting the Cardinals to only nine points, but the Vikings did not score at all, causing their lead to fade away to nothing with three minutes left in the game.Panic began to set in with the players and the fans.

“We were losing patience,” Lin said. “I think everyone was trying to do a bit too much near the end.”

Lin, seeing that his high school basketball career might soon be over, willed his team to victory. The Cardinals, perhaps overexcited at their comeback, fell prey to screen set up by Paly and allowed Lin to get open. Lin made them pay with a dagger from beyond the arc.

“It was supposed to be a screen and roll,” Lin said. “But they left me open so I took the shot.”

After a Cardinals miss, Lin dribbled up slowly and held the ball near the mid-court line. With about 7 seconds left on the shot clock, Lin appeared to drive to the basket before kicking it out to Brown who calmly knocked down the shot.

“The ball just came to me,” Brown said. “Jeremy gave me a chance and I knocked it down.”

After the buzzer, the Paly fans erupted and the Vikings players proceeded to climb up into the stands to celebrate the win in the last home game of the season. The victory was bittersweet for the seniors, who will never set foot in the Paly gym for a game again.

“It’s sad that my career is coming to an end soon,” Lin said. “But we wanted to get to Arco and now we are.”

“It was a great way to go out,” senior Cooper Miller said. "I love the fans who, especially tonight, showed enthusiasm and intensity." Miller scored eight points and played exceptional defense.

Lin finished with 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Brown scored 12 points on four threes. Lehman scored five points, but had a tough night with six turnovers including multiple traveling violations.

The Cardinals were led by Clark, who scored 21 including five three-pointers. The Cardinals also had ten blocks which is amazing for a team whose tallest player is 6’4”.

At the beginning of the season, few thought the Vikings would be as good as last year’s 31-2 squad, but game for game, the 2005-2006 Vikings have proven they are just as capable of winning a state championship.

“I think this team is more determined to win,” said assistant coach Bob Roehl. “This is a different team than last year’s, so we’ll see what happens.”

The Cardinals played tough from the beginning, but they could not overcome the early deficit. Had they taken the outright lead, the Cardinals may have had enough momentum to pull off the upset. The team was visibly dissapointed after the loss, but their fans were very classy, waiting and cheering for each player coming out of the visitors’ locker room. Long after the Paly fans had left, the Cardinals fans were still there showing support for their team.

“They’re a great team; maybe the best team we’ve faced so far,” Roehl said.

When two teams are so evenly matched in skill level, the game often comes down to desire and tonight the Vikings had it, even when they were struggling. Lin and Brown would not let the season slip away.

“They [Lin and Brown] don’t dwell on mistakes. They just look ahead to the next play,” Roehl said. “That is what separates them as great players.”

It took seven minutes to score in the fourth quarter, but they made it count in the final minute. In what could have been their last minute as a Viking, Lin and Brown carried the team to victory.

“I knew mine was in,” Lin said. “I knew Steven would make because he is such a clutch shooter.”

To fans, Lin’s three-pointer and assist to Brown was spectacular and awe-inspiring, but his teammates and coaches were not surprised.

“I expect it from him [Lin] every night,” Scott said. “Once it was in the air, I knew it was going in.”

“Jeremy hit the big shot right before,” Brown said. “It just gave me more confidence to make mine.”

“He [Lin] used to surprise me, but after a while, I just got used to watching him,” Roehl said. “He doesn’t surprise me anymore, but he still amazes me.”

Lin’s determination and willpower has led the Vikings back to the NorCal finals, where they will face Archbishop Mitty. The seventh seed Monarchs pulled off the upset over Jesuit and will get a chance to avenge their 38-50 loss to the Vikings last Friday in the Central Coast Section finals.

The Vikings will try to put last year’s loss in the NorCal finals behind them and focus on proving to the Monarchs that the last game was no fluke. The game begins at 4 p.m. on March 11 at Arco Arena in Sacramento. If the Vikings prevail, they will play for the Division II state championship against the SoCal winner at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 17 at Arco Arena.

Last year, the Vikings had their tremendous season cut one game short of the state championship. 364 days later, the Vikings are ready for another chance at the ultimate prize.