Federal Way boys basketball starters are at their best with a commanding lead, but they’re lethal when their backs are against the wall.

The Eagles were down by as many as 11 points in the third quarter to the Curtis Vikings, but they cut the lead to three with seconds remaining in the 4A West Central/Southwest bidistrict semifinals. Federal Way point guard Marcus Stephens found the ball in his hands with seconds remaining. This was odd because it wasn’t the play Eagles coach Jerome Collins drew up moments earlier.

In a sense of panic, desperation and confidence, Stephens launched the 3-pointer as time expired. Splash.

The senior’s three tied the game and sent it to overtime. and after two overtime periods, the fourth-ranked Eagles had completed the double-digit comeback for an 82-79 win over No. 6 Curtis on Thursday at Mt. Tahoma.

“It was just a total team effort to our guys,” Collins said. “They never die. They had a lot of adversity to overcome. I’m just proud of them ‘cause they never die.”

In a game that was essentially meaningless for both teams – Curtis and Federal Way each earned state tournament berths – early on, it looked like the Eagles were content with bowing and out and preparing for their state tournament run.

Behind a pesky defensive effort, the Vikings forced six turnovers in the second quarter, which culminated with Curtis taking a 36-25 lead at the half.

The Eagles were in trouble.

While they had another playoff caliber performance from big man Malcolm Cola, who finished with 16 points, Stephens, their playmaker on the floor, was nowhere to be found.

Early foul trouble had him on the bench for a good portion of the first half.

“I wasn’t as aggressive on offense because they’re good at taking charges,” Stephens said. “So I was waiting until the second half to get more involved.”

Stephens did more than get involved — he took over.

The senior point guard scored all 16 of his points in the second half, including the one his team needed most.

With less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Curtis guard Sindou Diallo, who struggled all night from the free throw line, was intentionally fouled. He made the first free throw but missed his second to keep the Vikings’ lead at 64-61.

Federal Way coach Jerome Collins called timeout to draw up the final play. Eagles point guard Marcus Stephens was supposed to get the ball to the free throw line, find forward Etan Collins under the basket and get him the and-one to send the game to overtime.

But the play fell apart almost immediately.

Stephens drew a double team, but before the Viking defender could trap him, he sent the ball into the paint to Etan Collins, but Stephens knew he had to take the ever-important shot.

Etan Collins did a near perfect job on the screen and exchange handoff to Stephens, who rose up from the left elbow and knocked the shot that sent the game to overtime.

“I saw the double coming,” Stephens said. “So I passed it to Etan, but I wanted to take that shot. So I immediate got it back, he did a good job of sealing my defender on the handoff and I just let if fly.”

Curtis’s Nate Ward converted one of two free throws with 7.7 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game, and Federal Way’s Palofino Jatta missed a runner as time expired to send the game to a second overtime.

The Vikings cut Federal Way’s lead to 81-79 with 12.9 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. After Stephens made one of two free throws, Tashon Brown got a shot off from the corner to try to send it to a third overtime, but the ball rimmed out at the buzzer.

For Stephens, his hot and cold night did not surprise his coach.

Jerome Collins said it can be very stressful working with Stephens, but when Stephens gets into a rhythm like he did against Curtis, Jerome Collins said when the Eagles need him most, he’s always there.

“Sometimes he’ll make you want to pull your hair out,” Jerome Collins laughed. “Sometimes he can get out of control and he’s got to find a way to settle down and read the defense.

“But he came through, and that’s what we need down the stretch — we are going to need leadership.”

Federal Way now gets the rematch against Kentwood it’s been salivating for. The Conquerors best the Eagles 69-59 on Feb. 4 in the league tournament, ending their 63-game win streak. The two meet again to crown a 4A West Central/Southwest district champion at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Puyallup High School.

The last time the two met, Federal Way overlooked Kentwood’s ability to produce bench scoring.

If the Eagles are going to keep their backs off the wall and play their usual, suffocating Federal Way basketball, they have to respect the Conks’ bench.

“Keep bench players in check,” Stephens said. “Don’t let them get over their averages, don’t let them have the amazing, spectacular game like they did last time. We’ll beat them if we can pound the post, pound the post and match their bench with ours.”