By Tim Mastro

WILMINGTON — Based on free-throw percentage, Olumuyiwa “Moo” Salako isn’t exactly the most successful from the foul line out of all the players on the Smyrna High boys’ basketball team.

But if there’s a game to be won, and a clutch moment to be had, coach Andrew Mears wants the ball in Salako’s hands no matter where it is.

“Through the years we had him he’s our best game-winner guy,” Mears said. “He’s one of the guys I trust the most. So if he’s got to be at the line for the game-winner, I’m fine with that.”

Salako sent the Eagles to the DIAA state championship game when he drained a free throw with 0.6 seconds remaining to upset second-seeded Salesianum 43-42 on Thursday night. The sixth-seeded Eagles (20-0) advanced to play top seed Sanford School (15-2) for the state title at 4:30 p.m. at Dover High.

Salesianum had just tied the game on a pair of free throws by Justin Molen with nine seconds to go. Smyrna inbounded to Lish Gregory, who drove toward the hoop before he was cut off by a Salesianum defender and passed to a cutting Salako.

Salako missed his first shot but was able to corral his own rebound. He tried to go right back up with the ball before the buzzer sounded through a host of Salesianum defenders and was fouled.

The first free throw rimmed out. Salako then drained his next attempt, silencing a raucous home crowd for Salesianum.

“I had to get a clear head, once I got to a clear head space it was just me and the rim, really,” Salako said. “No noise, I didn’t feel anything. It was just me and the shot and by the grace of God I knocked it down.”

Mears said Salako has been about a 50% free throw shooter this year.

“The law of averages says he’s going to make the next one right?” Mears quipped. “So we were pretty confident in him.”

A desperation heave from the other side of halfcourt fell short for Salesianum as the Eagle bench emptied to mob Salako.

It was a game the Eagles led throughout, including a double-digit advantage at halftime, but Salesianum almost stole it with a fourth-quarter comeback. Salesianum took its largest lead of the game at 40-37 with 2:21 left.

Smyrna had one more rally left, however, as Majesti Carter drained a corner three off an assist by Elijah Credle to put Smyrna up 42-40 with 43 seconds left, setting the scene for a wild last nine seconds.

“Before the game I told the team, ‘If you need me, I’m going to step up,’” Carter said. “They needed me and I stepped up, I capitalized. There wasn’t a play called there, we just have chemistry and I knew where to be.”

Credle paced Smyrna with 13 points while Gregory also finished in double figures with 11 points. Rob Wiley added eight points of his own while Carter and Salako had five and four points, respectively.

Salesianum’s Molen was the game’s top scorer with 21 points.

The Eagles also overcame a stretch from the final minutes of the third quarter through the first half of the fourth quarter, where they turned the ball over on 10 of 13 possessions.

“We knew Sallies is a great team and is definitely a dangerous team in the second half,” Salako said. “We knew that when adversity hit us in the face we had to respond the right way.”