There was no drama -- zero -- for the first three games of the Central Section basketball championships Friday at Selland Arena.

Then Hanford West and Garces played.

Josue Salaam, in a splendid duel with Garces' Rashaad Jackson, closed a 35-point night by making seven free throws in the second overtime as the fifth-seeded Huskies outlasted the No. 2 Rams 88-84 for the Division II title.

Salaam, a senior left-hander and the school's career scoring leader with 1,645, delivered a four-point play to give Hanford West (19-12) a chance in the first OT after Garces (20-9) had bolted to a 74-67 lead.

The Huskies were down 76-71 in the first OT when Salaam drained a deep 3 from the top of the key. He was fouled and made the shot, reducing the gap to 76-75 with 1:16 left.

If that wasn't the key sequence of the game, this was: Hanford West still trailed 78-75 when Huskies junior forward Dylan Gonzalez skied for a rebound of a Salaam miss and put it back in with 8.9 seconds to go.

Gonzalez not only made the free throw to tie it -- and ultimately force the second OT -- Jackson fouled out on the play, ending his 34-point, 17-rebound night.

Salaam's two free throws gave the Huskies an 85-83 lead with 1:44 remaining in the final OT. And, finally, it was his two free throws with 29.9 to go and another at 10.1 to close it out before a gasping crowd as Hanford West secured its second section title in school history. The Huskies also won the D-III crown in 2009.

Salaam and Jackson, who played on the same summer travel team -- the Super Stars out of Fresno -- applauded each other afterward.

Jackson on Salaam: "We knew coming in it was going to be a dogfight and the best man won, I guess."

Salaam on Jackson: "All I can say to him is thank you, man, I appreciate that. He's a great, amazing player -- fadeaway jumpers, handles the ball; that's a Division I basketball player right there."

Hanford West will host a Southern California Regional game Wednesday, while Garces will go on the road. Seedings will be determined Sunday.

Garces, seeking its 12th section title, bolted to a 20-9 lead in a run charged by senior guard Eric Parra (two 3's and an assist).

Then Hanford West settled into the conditions -- a 94-foot, college dimension-sized court generally found to be uncomfortable by high school players in their first appearance at Selland. That's 10 feet longer than a standard prep floor.

And when the Huskies turned it on, it didn't take long to literally race back into it.

The third-place finishers of the West Yosemite League closed the first quarter with a 10-0 run on Demario Carre's layup, Davon Edmund's 3 and free throw and two layups by Gonzalez, including one after his own steal.

Suddenly, there was a show to be seen in the house after the first three games of the day were decided by an average of 22 points: Immanuel 58, Kings Christian 32 (D-V girls), Tranquillity 46, Laton 33 (D-V boys) and Ridgeview 65, Garces 38 (D-II girls).

Salaam made 9 of 15 shots in a 20-point first half as Hanford West stormed in front, 38-35.

But the player attracting progressive interest from Fresno Pacific was shut out in the third quarter.

That's when Jackson -- he of the textbook release -- took over, scoring 14 points for a 53-49 Rams lead entering the fourth.

Central Section basketball title games

D-I BOYS: No. 1 Bullard vs. No. 3 Clovis West, 8 p.m. today

D-II BOYS: No. 5 Hanford West 88, No. 2 Garces 84 (2OT)

D-III BOYS: No. 1 Independence vs. No. 2 Mission Oak, 4 p.m. today

D-IV BOYS: No. 2 Exeter vs. No. 8 Coalinga, noon today

D-V BOYS: No. 2 Tranquillity 46, No. 4 Laton 33

D-I GIRLS: No. 1 Stockdale vs. No. 2 Clovis West, 6 p.m. today

D-II GIRLS: No. 1 Ridgeview 65, No. 2 Garces 38

D-III GIRLS: No. 1 Selma vs. No. 2 Hanford West, 2 p.m. today

D-IV GIRLS: No. 1 Lindsay vs. No. 2 Mendota, 10 a.m. today

D-V GIRLS: No. 1 Immanuel 58, No. 2 Kings Christian 32