Waterford - Connor Lewis, in the middle of yet another jubilant pile of humanity Wednesday night, said he received a text from his dad, David, before the game.

"Please try to win by more than one point," Mr. Lewis wrote, alluding to Waterford High School's one-point victory over Rocky Hill in the first round of the Class M state tournament this week that nearly required the Coronary Care Unit.

Say this much for young Connor: He listens to his elders.

Lewis made sure his team won by two.

And he did so with a rebound basket at the buzzer, one year to the day he won another state tournament game for the Lancers ... with a rebound basket at the buzzer.

Lewis' putback as time expired gave No. 4 Waterford a 62-60 win over No. 20 Sheehan at a wild Francis X. Sweeney Fieldhouse, setting up Friday's quarterfinal with No. 5 East Catholic, the school that threw the Lancers down a flight of stairs in last season's Class M semifinals.

"I really can't explain it," Lewis said, of his year-to-the-day accomplishment.

But Waterford coach Greg Gwudz certainly can.

"It's not a coincidence he's always in the right place at the right time in a big spot," Gwudz said. "The stage does not make him nervous. We could have watched Kevin (Johnson) sprint up the court, but we all sprinted and wanted the rebound. Connor was in the right spot because he's a great player."

The Lancers (19-5) inbounded the ball with 7.6 seconds remaining. Landon Peabody, who gave Waterford a 60-58 lead with 2:17 left on a three-point play, took Johnson's pass and drew a crowd as he ran to the rim. Peabody missed, but Lewis was unattended. His putback prompted Lancer Nation's second court storming in three nights.

"We just have a lot of heart," Lewis said. "This is my last year. We have a lot of seniors and it's coach Gwudz's last year. We don't want it to end."

Lewis led the Lancers with 18 points. This was news, given that Lewis, Johnson and Isaiah Jones, all starters, spent most of the night in foul trouble. And yet Kyle McComic (10 points), Jake Mangual (big 3-pointer midway through the fourth period), freshman Mikey Buscetto (five points, six assists) and sophomore Jeff Evans kept the Lancers afloat.

"Incredible effort by Mikey and Jeff Evans," Gwudz said. "I've gained trust with Mikey as the season has gone on. Jeff has come on since that Ledyard game (in the ECC semifinals). He has to play now. So aggressive. He does all the nitty gritty stuff. They carried us for a long time. Jake, how versatile is he? Landon carried us for a while, too. A complete team effort."

They'll need another Friday against East Catholic, last season's Class M state champion. But they've been prepared well this week from Rocky Hill (Central Connecticut Conference) and Sheehan (13-10, Southern Connecticut Conference) who play quality competition all season.

"We knew when we saw our draw that Rocky Hill and Sheehan play in great conferences," Gwudz said. "Sheehan handed it to us a couple of years ago and their coach (Joe Gaetano) is really good. These games were expected to be close. It's a credit to my guys that we pulled them out."

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @BCgenius