Windsor — It seemed appropriate that a game between two of the more successful teams in recent years would go down to the final shot.

Mill River won the Vermont Division II title in 2015 and lost in the championship game in 2016. Windsor won the Division III crown in 2010 and 2011 and in the finals in 2009. And on Friday night, the two teams were leading their respective divisions.

And for the second time this season, Mill River held on for a two-point win, taking a 46-44 decision. On Jan. 27, the Minutewomen won, 43-41.

Mill River was up by two with two seconds to play and Windsor in possession under its own basket.

The plan was for Ashleay Wilcox to get the ball to freshman sensation Olivia Rockwood (21 points). Mill River coach Ken Webb was sure that the ball was going to Rockwood, who was being guarded by Melissa Fay.

“We were just hoping she was not going to get the ball too close to the basket,” Webb said.

Wilcox had a little trouble finding Rockwood, and when she did, Rockwood was to the left of the foul circle. Rockwood, who had connected on a pair of 3-pointers, got the pass, took one dribble and launched a shot that looked good, but it hit off the backboard and the front of the rim and fell away.

“I really thought it had a chance,” Windsor coach Bruce Mackay said.

Windsor (12-3) remains in first place in Division III, while Mill River (12-4), at the worst, will be tied with Lyndon for first place in Division II.

Windsor missed three of four free throws in the final 1:41 and failed to foul fast enough in the closing seconds even though Mackay was screaming “green, green,” which is the signal to foul. Precious seconds clicked away as the Minutewomen dribbled the ball.

It appeared that Mill River went into a delay game with a 43-38 lead with 4:14 to go. Webb said that while it looked like his team was just trying to take time off the clock, “we were trying to move the ball around to get a good shot,” he said.

The game was sloppy early on, but the play and the pace of the game picked up as the minutes ticked away. It was 35-35 after 3 quarters. Then right at the start of the last eight minutes Mill River went on an 8-1 run and Windsor looked in trouble trailing 43-36.

But the fun was just beginning.

“We were down earlier by six and now we were seven,” Mackay said. “So when I talked to the girls after the game I knew they were upset, but they shouldn’t have been. I had no problem with their performance.”

The comeback from seven was aided by a couple of Mill River turnovers and baskets by Angelina Bigwood off a nifty Wilcox pass and a put-back hoop by Erica Gray.

Mill River got a monster game from senior Rylee Nichols, who plays guard and forward with equal skill. She had 21 points while skowing off her dribbling and rebounding skills.

“She’s very confident and composed,” Webb said. “I feel good when she has the ball.”

Mackay hopes a game like this will help down the road. “We haven’t had a lot of finishes like this,” he said.

Windsor has two games coming up with Hartford, at home on Monday and at Hartford on Wednesday. Mill River is at Springfield on Tuesday.