Ripon Christian’s boys basketball team had its season end in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday against seventh-seeded University of San Francisco at Kezar Pavilion.

The 10th-seeded Knights had what they hoped would be the game’s final possession in their grasp, but a turnover with six seconds remaining allowed University’s Chris Mah to score the game-winning bucket on a breakaway layup.

The Red Devils, who trailed for most of the game until the end, won 79-77 and will meet No. 2 Pinewood of Los Altos Hills Saturday in the second round of the CIF Northern California Division V playoffs.

“We had them,” Ripon Christian coach Ron Vander Molen said.

University (20-11) caught fire in the fourth quarter, torching the Knights (23-7) for four of their nine 3-pointers and 32 overall points. The two teams traded buckets throughout crunch time until the end.

“They got hot,” Vander Molen said. “We didn’t play that bad, but they really came alive in the end and we couldn’t stop them defensively.”

Ripon Christian was ahead 73-70 before Jack Gale knotted it with a 3-pointer.

Josh Van Groningen answered with a bucket to give the Knights their final lead. Harold Getz, who paced University with 29 points, tied the score back up to set the game-deciding sequence.

Ripon Christian took control early, mounting an 18-9 first-quarter lead.

Jared Goslinga did all he could to keep RC ahead with his dominant play in the post, scoring 20 of his game-high 30 points in the second half. Van Groningen finished with 16 points, and point guard Dan Vos added 14.