WALNUT — For nearly two months, the Glendora boys basketball team found a way to escape the feeling of losing, building up a 17-game winning streak.

On Thursday night, Glendora was reminded of its mortality as Walnut pushed the Tartans to the brink of their fourth loss of the season.

But a clutch 13-point scoring spurt down the stretch by junior guard Max Hilgenfeldt, coupled with a 28-point performance by Colton Gray, powered the Tartans to a 71-66 win over Walnut in overtime, extending their win streak to 18 games.

“We knew tonight’s game was going to be a barn burner — it was fun,” Glendora coach Gordon Hamlow said. “I was very proud of our effort, sticking with it. (Walnut) came out very hot and chipped away (at the lead).”

Gray, who was held scoreless in the first quarter, paced the Tartans (20-3, 5-0) and was the catalyst for the third-quarter run that brought Glendora within two points, 47-45, with less than 15 seconds left in the period.

Walnut (15-7, 4-1) maintained an eight-point lead for much of the game until that point, but Gray’s relentless activity on the offensive glass paired with his 13-of-16 shooting from the free-throw line helped set up Hilgenfeldt’s heroic effort in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“We shifted our focus and got the ball into (Gray),” Hamlow said.

Hilgenfeldt, who had six first-half points on one made basket, scored eight fourth-quarter points and helped the Tartans bring the game back within a basket, 57-55, with less than three minutes left in regulation. Glendora took its first lead with 1:11 remaining in regulation, then held Walnut to one made basket in overtime.