Cullman's Brontae Harris rises and fires in Saturday's game.

Voice cracking and hardly able to breathe, Lawson Schaffer pulled away from a long embrace with his father and truly started to soak in Saturday’s 73-68 triumph over Austin.

Buoyed by a couple steroid shots but still sick and self-admittedly “out of it,” the senior came through in Cullman’s biggest game of the season by far. Schaffer delivered 17 of his 35 points in a contentious fourth quarter, lifting the third-ranked Bearcats over the No. 4 Black Bears for the second time in less than two weeks.

Only this win meant a whole lot more. It handed the Black and Gold the Class 6A, Area 15 Tournament championship and assured the squad’s seniors one last game on their familiar home court.

Schaffer had one man to thank for making him healthy enough to Cullman’s second area tourney title in a row — Christopher Laganke, who the teen hailed as the “best doctor in America.”

“God this feels great,” said Schaffer, drawing out the ‘o’ for added effect. “I can’t put it into words right now. It’s amazing, just because they’re so good. We worked so hard for this. All that work you put in the offseason, you can see it with your own eyes. It makes you want to be so much better. It’s an awesome feeling.”

The first two meetings between the area rivals and state contenders had been instant classics, and Part III Saturday night was no different.

In front of a max capacity and quite vocal crowd, Cullman and Austin traded runs well into the fourth quarter. After 14 lead changes, the Bearcats finally took control for good with only 3:08 remaining.

Schaffer’s three-point play gave coach Bobby Meyer’s boys a slim 62-61 advantage, and his dagger from behind the arc nearly 30 seconds later all but did it for the Black Bears. Schaffer went 6 of 8 at the free-throw line the rest of the way out — he was 9 of 11 in the fourth quarter and 15 of 18 overall — and Brontae Harris sank a set to hold the quick-scoring visitors at bay.

The difference down the stretch for Schaffer was Cullman’s grit. Well, that and one other surprising element for a “Fast32” team better known for its high-flying offense.

“Our defense actually won us a game,” he said with a sly smile. “And I know that’s crazy for us to say because we don’t really play defense.”

Harris had more than his fair say in the victory with 19 points. Chase Slocumb tossed in a huge seven points, and Seth Swalve was good for five. Jason McAfee drained a first-half 3-pointer, while Gage Goodwin and Nic Handley made a basket apiece.

Meyer was pleased with all his players but saved his biggest praise for Slocumb, who, as usual, hustled every second he was on the floor. All three of his buckets were particularly timely, too.

“I’m really proud for Chase Slocumb, a senior who just absolutely has had his struggles this year,” Meyer said. “But he came through in the clutch and played great, gave us strong minutes and strength in his position.”

Austin’s Josh Pearson put on a grown-man display of basketball with two thunderous dunks — one on an unbelievable putback — and a team-high 20 points. Camron Reedus added 18 points for the Black Bears, who Meyer maintains extreme respect for.

“To beat those guys, it is so incredibly almost miraculous, because they’re so good and athletic,” he said. “For our guys to continue scrapping and be able to compete and make plays against them, every possession you’re like, ‘Ooooooh wow, can it happen?’

“So big win.”

The Bearcats (22-8) cut down the nets Saturday evening but will need to find some new nylon by 7 p.m. Tuesday for a sub-regional bout against Minor. Austin will travel to Area 8-champ Jackson-Olin.

Schaffer and Slocumb both offered up predictions for the coming weeks.

Schaffer’s were that the Black Bears will “kill Jackson-Olin” and that Cullman will “probably” face Austin again at the Northwest Regional Tournament.

Slocumb’s was that the Bearcats are bound for state — “I just know it.”

If that road to the Final Four includes yet another rematch with the Black Bears, all the better.

“Give ’em to us,” Slocumb said. “We want them. If we meet them at Wallace, we’ll take ’em.”