Down 62-59 with 7:22 left, Tartan (4-0, 0-0) scored four points to take the lead, only to see the advantage flip-flop twice in the final minutes. Free throws on back-to-back possessions by Langston Binns then set the stage for Kearney's late effort.

Clinging to a 69-68 lead in the final minute, Kearney blocked a potential basket by the Hawks that set up a pair of free throws by teammate Kaleb Dowd.

Then with 7.3 seconds left, and Tartan holding a fragile 73-71 lead, Cooper's Broderick Powell Jr. was fouled. Powell made his first free throw, but after he intentionally missed the second shot Kearney grabbed the rebound to secure the win.

"At the end of the game, I think all 50-50 balls should be mine," Kearney said. "I feel, as a senior, I want to set a good example for our guys."

Kearney finished with 15 points and was one of four players to finish in double figures for the Titans. Binns scored a game-high 18 points, Dorian Singer had 13, and Dowd finished with 10 to help Tartan keep its record unblemished.

Davion Evans scored 16 to lead Cooper offensively, while Powell added 13.

But it was a far from a poetic win as the Titans struggled with 20 turnovers and were badly beaten on the offensive glass.

"Turnovers and bad defensive rotations put us in bad shots to rebound," Klingsporn said. "We're not big, so we know [rebounding] is a problem coming in, but it's disappointing when we don't do the things we're supposed to do."

He added: "We're known as a team that defends hard and defends well, but right now we're not defending well. But a loss in December is a lot different than a loss in February or March. We have room to improve, but we have time to improve as well."

Kearney suggested the tight win would help his team down the road.

"We can say that we've been in close games, and we can remember not to be frustrated with one another and stay focused on what we're supposed to do," he said.