Corey Perkins was not enjoying his day, which put him in the distinct minority Saturday afternoon at the Carpenter Center.

The much-anticipated Sanford-Dover state basketball final had all the makings of a classic. It was certainly delivering in front of an enthralled, enthusiastic sellout crowd of 4,500-plus.

When the roar of the Dover faithful reminded Eden Davis the clock to end the third quarter was about to expire, he launched a successful 3-pointer that pulled Dover to within 34-32. Teammate Elijah Allen then converted a 3-pointer of his own to start the final quarter and Dover led by 1, the eighth lead change of the game.

Perkins, the junior Sanford guard, was mostly experiencing frustration.

Through 24 minutes he was 1-for-5 shooting from the field, had committed four personal fouls and turned the ball over five times.

“I was frustrated seeing shots going in and out and not falling,” Perkins said. “My teammates kept me in it, and my coach told me to just calm down and lock in.”

Perkins had actually spent an inordinate amount of time, more than eight minutes, on the bench.

Sanford wins state-final thriller over Dover

“There were a couple plays where he didn’t make great decisions,” Sanford coach Stan Waterman said.

But high school basketball games are 32 minutes long, and Perkins took advantage of what he had left to help spark Sanford to a 48-45 victory over previously unbeaten Dover in an unforgettable final.

“He fought through the adversity, kept playing, kept his head,” said Sanford assistant coach Shahid Perkins, Corey’s father and the former Glasgow All-Stater.

It was Perkins who drained three pressure-packed foul shots with his team down 3 and 1:52 left to tie the score 42-42.

“My dad always told me I was built for these type moments, and it finally came true,” Perkins said. “I just locked in, took a deep breath, made the shot, and it was just there. I wanted that so bad. I wanted to end the game.”

Perkins then drove to the basket to give Sanford a 44-42 lead with 1:13 left on its next possession.

Later, with Sanford ahead 46-45, Perkins was there to retrieve Ryan McKeon's pass after cousin and fellow junior guard Hassan Perkins’ steal. That bucket made it 48-45 with seven seconds left.

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“I just knew he was gonna be there,” Hassan Perkins said. “We’ve been playing together since we were 3 years old. I just know.”

Corey Perkins finished with 10 points, 7 in the final 1:52, and Hassan had 9. Only Jyare Davis, with 14, including the final bucket, scored more for the Warriors.

“Oftentimes in high school basketball, when you see a kid struggling like that, it’s really easy to fold,” Waterman said. “Corey’s been in the gym forever. His dad’s a coach. He’s got a high basketball IQ. He’s as tough as they come. And he was able to maintain his composure and persevere and then made some plays for us at the end. I’m really proud of him.”

The 53rd annual DIAA Boys Basketball Tournament title game had all the factors that make a state final delicious.

It matched an upstate team, Sanford, against a downstate foe in Dover. It was private-school Sanford going versus public-school Dover.

There was one school that had never won a state title, with Dover having lost in four previous title tries, playing the tournament’s biggest winner. Sanford had won eight previous championships in 10 title-game appearances.

Sanford wins girls title on Park's baseline floater

Dover was unbeaten. Sanford hadn't lost to an in-state foe.

“This is an unbelievable win,” Waterman said. “It looked like we were dead for a minute. I thought it was a great weekend for high school basketball in Delaware with the girls game last night [Sanford’s 51-49 win over Caravel] and this game today. And Dover’s young. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing them again.”

Sanford won the closest state final since 2011 when the Warriors nipped Red Lion 60-58 on Deon Jones’ last-second 3-pointer.

After his tough start, Corey Perkins had considerable incentive.

“Win,” said Perkins, who played on Sanford’s 2016 state title team as an eighth-grader. “That was my only motivation. I just wanted to win so bad.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.