Watch: The Ugliest, Most Hectic Buzzer-Beating Half-Court Shot Seals the Win
Missouri State knocked off Illinois State in Missouri Valley Conference action with a buzzer beater Sunday unlike any you’ve ever seen.
The announcers, in fact, were left speechless.
We’ll tried to explain it, but the pictures will tell the story better.
? HALF-COURT BUZZER-BEATER FTW ?
ALL. OUT. HUSTLE! ? @MSUBearsHoopspic.twitter.com/xFaD4pkXqa
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 10, 2019
The Illinois State Redbirds went up 65-60 with 13 seconds left after two free throws by Zach Copeland.
Missouri State’s Josh Webster came back down and hit a jumper and was fouled. Webster converted the free throw to cut it to 65-63 with 7 seconds left.
Here’s where things get crazy. On the inbounds pass from Matt Chastain, Missouri State’s Keandre Cook stole it. But then the Illinois State player he was covering, got his hand on the ball and knocked it away.
There was now a loose ball bouncing up toward half court. Two Redbirds converged on it, but neither could pick it up. A Missouri State player then dove for the ball, but he couldn’t handle it.
It bounded toward two Illinois State players, who either couldn’t grab it or had it knocked away by a Missouri State player — it was really hard to tell in the scrum of players. It was like they were trying to pick up a football, not a basketball.
The ball came bouncing across half court where Missouri State’s Jarred Dixon finally grabbed hold of it with 1.6 second left. He turned, took one dribble, and shot almost exactly from half court. There were about .3 seconds on the clock when he let it fly.
@JayDixon_11 Thank you for giving us one of the best @MSUBearsHoops moments ever pic.twitter.com/to59iogg0j
— marty Prather (@realSTLsignman) February 10, 2019
The ball caromed off the backboard into the hoop for the 66-63 win. The Missouri State players rushed on to the floor and mobbed Dixon at half court.
“It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving kid than Jarred Dixon,” Missouri State head coach Dana Ford told Springfield News-Leader.
For Illinois State, it was deja vu all over again. They lost earlier this year to conference foe Valparaiso when Valpo’s Markus Golder banked one in from half court as time expired to win 58-56.
Despite these heart-wrenching setbacks, Illinois State remains in solid contention in the MVC.
They are 14-11 overall and 7-5 in the conference, tied for second just two games behind last year’s surprise Final Four entrant, Loyola-Chicago.
Missouri State (13-12) is also 7-5 in the conference, tied with Drake and Illinois State for second.
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