Just when there was seemingly nothing new to learn about Bullard High's dominant boys basketball program, something novel developed Saturday night at Selland Arena: the Knights can drive a manual transmission.

They shifted in bizarre fashion -- fourth to granny, then back to fourth -- while blowing all of a 16-point second-half lead only to close with an 18-5 run and blow away from ever-frustrated Clovis West 66-53 for their third consecutive Central Section Division I championship.

All three titles have come at the expense of the Golden Eagles, who lost 54-51 in the 2011 final and 69-55 last year in a game tied in the fourth quarter.

Then to the latest, which had miracle written all over it for Clovis West before a crowd of around 7,500 watching the last of 10 section finals in the two-day bonanza.

Clovis West (22-6), down 48-32 midway through the third quarter, rode Marcus Junior's inside play to tie it 48-48 early in the fourth. Its crowd was roaring, sensing this might finally be the Golden Eagles' year.

That's when Bullard turned to a senior star who doesn't blink under bright lights.

"I want the ball in crunch time," said senior Corey Silverstrom, who hit consecutive 3s for a 54-48 lead and away the Knights flew to their 86th win against 13 losses in three seasons. And that includes a 62-3 record against section competition.

The 6-foot-5 guard finished with 21 points. And that came after a scoreless first quarter.

"Corey's been an awesome player for us all year," Bullard coach Tony Amundsen said. "He's hit a ton of clutch shots; he's definitely a clutch player."

Clovis West coach Tom Orlich added: "Corey hit the big 3s and that got them separation. He's a really good player, and I thought that was the difference in the fourth quarter."

Calvin Young, an increasingly powerful inside force for the Knights in the past month, delivered 15 points -- including baskets off offensive rebounds -- and 13 rebounds.

It didn't bode well for Clovis West that it shot 75% (6 for 8) in the first quarter, only to trail 21-15. The difference was turnovers -- a common companion to opponents of the Knights because of their relentless defensive traps.

Bullard took eight more shots than the Eagles in the opening quarter in large part because of nine Clovis West turnovers. The Knights had only two.

Even more frightening for the Eagles was the fact that Silverstrom went scoreless. That would change dramatically in the second, when he made all four of his shots in addition to 7 of 9 free throws for 15 points and a 44-28 Knights lead.

Saturday's win sets up the question that has been gathering steam in recent weeks: Will Bullard be invited today to the first Open Division in the state playoffs or remain in D-I, where the Knights likely would draw a top-three seed and home games to accompany it?

Sixth-ranked in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, they seem destined for the Open Division, which will be filled with the top six to eight teams each from the North and the South -- regardless of what division they represented in their respective sections.

The seedings for the Open Division, in addition to the standard five divisions, are expected to be announced today about 5 p.m.

"I would love to get some home games," said Amundsen, suggesting strongly he would like to remain in D-I.

Silverstrom said: "It's a tough call. We want to play at home, but wherever it takes us, we'll play Bullard basketball and, hopefully, win a state championship."