It’s that time of year for crazy buzzer beaters – and not just in college basketball.
A high school boys’ basketball semifinal Friday night in Portland, Maine, saw the lead change four times in the final 19 seconds, including a buzzer beater that should not have counted that gave Thornton Academy a 52-51 win over Bonny Eagle at Cross Insurance Arena.
Thornton’s Will Davies took a long inbounds pass and shot from near the foul line as the final buzzer sounded. Officials ruled the shot counted, allowing Thornton (17-3) to advance to the Class AA South final Saturday.
Davies scored a game-high 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Bonny Eagle coach John Trull insisted the shot was too late, and replays appeared to show the ball was still in Davies’ hand as the clock reads 0.0.
‘It obviously ripped our heart out,’ Trull told the Portland Press Herald.
The final 19 seconds were … wild.
The back-and-forth began when Hayden Campbell caught an inbounds pass and nailed a 3-pointer from near the sideline to give Bonny Eagle a 48-47 lead with 19 seconds remaining.
Ten seconds later, Davies drove to the basket for a layup and was fouled. His free throw with 8.8 seconds remaining gave Thornton a 50-48 lead.
With 1.3 seconds left, Elliot Bouchard was fouled on a put-back and he made the free throw to give Bonny Eagle a 51-50 lead before Davies’ game-winner.
Check out the sequence:
But Thornton wasn’t able to continue it’s run Saturday as South Portland knocked off Thornton 55-44 in the regional final.