Slideshow: CIF Division 1A Boys Basketball Championship: King vs. Etiwanda - Mar. 01, 2008

ANAHEIM - The trophy case is complete now.

The Riverside King boys basketball team captured its first section championship, defeating Etiwanda in overtime, 79-69, in Saturday's Division 1A title game at Honda Center.

"After a couple of years where we thought we had the best team in the division and fell short, it feels great to finally make it all the way through," Wolves coach Tim Sweeney Jr. said. "Nobody is holding this (championship plaque) for a while."

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FRANK BELLINO/The Press-Enterprise

Xavier Muldrow and Riverside King battle Erick Ellis and Etiwanda to pull out an overtime victory in Saturday's Division 1A boys basketball championship at Anaheim's Honda Center.

King last played for a section championship in 2002, losing a heartbreaker to Redondo on a desperation three-pointer in the final seconds. The Wolves avenged that loss a week later and went on to capture the Division 2 state championship.

Since then, King twice fell short in the semifinals. Getting back and securing the final piece of championship hardware has been this team's goal.

"Words just can't explain it," said senior forward Eric Wise, who scored a game-high 27 points, including six in overtime. "Winning this title is what I have been working for ever since I got to King nearly four years ago."

It was almost déjÀ vu of the worst kind on Saturday.

Etiwanda made a furious comeback at the end of regulation, with Tre Brewer and Rome Draper hitting back-to-back three-pointers to give the Eagles a 59-57 lead with 23 seconds left.

King missed on its next possession but received second life after Etiwanda was called for traveling. George Fields (14 points) missed a short jumper, but Kawhi Leonard (15 points) was in position for the putback that knotted the score at 59 with 6 seconds left.

Etiwanda had a chance to win it in regulation, but Brewer's three-pointer rattled in and out at the buzzer.

"That one scared me," said Marques Lea, who was in the crowd six years ago when his brother Marvin's team lost.

After breathing a few sighs of relief, the Wolves quickly regained the momentum in overtime. Leonard knocked down a three-pointer on the first possession to set the tone and scored the first six points.

"We kept our composure," Wise said. "Simple as that."

Wise wasted little time establishing his presence down low, and did so despite Etiwanda collapsing its defense to stop entry passes. Good looks didn't come easy, but Wise got to the free-throw line, where he knocked down 5 of 7 in the first half.

"Eric is the best player in the Inland Empire, hands down," Sweeney said. "It's just a shame people don't recognize it. He has to prove it to everybody every time he steps on the floor."

Reach Eric-Paul Johnson at ejohnson@PE.com