Gary Gait, one goal. Paul Gait, one goal.

Not the manner in which the two best players in National Lacrosse League history wanted to ride off into the sunset.

However, with the rotund Mike Miron guarding the net, that's all the brothers Gait could manage in the Colorado Mammoth's 16-13 loss Friday night at Arizona, in the Western Division Semifinal.

The loss not only ends Colorado's season at a dismal 8-9 overall, it brings down the curtain on the illustrious careers of the NLL's leading (Gary) and third-leading (Paul) scorers alltime.

Gary Gait announced last fall that 2005 would be his final season, and Paul -- who retired in 2002 due to nagging injuries -- came back for one last playoff run with his twin brother.

Early on, it looked like the Mammoth would live to dance another week, flipping a game-opening goal by Gavin Prout and two apiece from Brian Langtry and Brad Self into a 5-2 lead after just four minutes.

Once Miron got into a groove, the scoring pace slowed down, although Colorado did stretch its lead to 7-3 by the end of the first quarter, countering a goal by the Sting's Pat Maddalena with strikes from Gary Gait and Langtry.

The score stayed that way for over eight minutes of the second quarter, until Maddalena tallied his second of the night -- but Paul Gait soon followed with his one and only.

Cory Bomberry and Lindsay Plunkett scored late for Arizona, making it an 8-6 ballgame at halftime.

Six minutes into the second half, the surging Sting had the lead for the first time since very early in the game, courtesy of Craig Conn, Bomberry, and Dan Dawson.

After some jostling, Colorado snuck back out in front, 12-11, on goals by Self and Josh Sims, but Plunkett tied the game with 1:13 left in the third quarter.

Conn and Dawson restored the Sting's lead early in the fourth quarter, only to cough it up on a pair from Langtry midway through the period.

That set the stage for a dramatic conclusion, but it wasn't to be. Maddalena fed Dawson for the eventual game-winner at 11:39, then repeated the move a minute and a half later.

Conn added an insurance goal 23 seconds after that, closing out a five-goal, three-assist night in which he was the top scorer.

Plunkett (three goals, five assists) and Maddalena (two goals, six assists) also had eight-point nights for the Sting, which visits Calgary next Saturday in the Western Division Final.

Langtry led the Mammoth with five goals and an assist, followed closely by Gary Gait (one goal, four assists) and Brad Self (three goals).