ST. MARYS, Pa. – Hunter Beeler’s jumper from just inside the foul line with about four seconds left in overtime lifted Ridgway to a 37-35 win at St. Marys in AML action.
Ridgway (6-7 overall, 2-2 AML) had the ball with about 15 seconds to play following a timeout when they got the ball to Beeler in the backcourt.
Beeler slowly brought the ball across the timeline before making his move at the right of the key using a screen from Alex Merritt before pulling up just after crossing the foul line to hit the only shot made by either team in the extra session.
Watch the game-winning shot
St. Marys (5-9, 5-3) quickly got the ball across halfcourt into the hands of Quinn Gavazzi whose desperation shot from about 28 to 30 feet away was a little too strong.
Merritt appeared to win the game in regulation when he banked home a shot that beat the horn. The one official indicated the basket was good, but a second official waved it off sending the game to overtime correctly indicating that in high school basketball there has to be 0.4 of a second or more on the clock for the shot to count on a catch and shoot unlike FIBA rules which state that there only need to be 0.3 of a second or more to catch and shoot.
Ridgway had gotten the ball back when Anthony Nedzinski walked after getting an inbounds pass with 1.9 seconds left. The clock ran to zero before the officials put 0.3 of a second back on the clock.
St. Marys, down 35-32, tied the game at 35 when Matthew Davis was fouled taking a 3-pointer with eight seconds left. Davis drained all three charity shots.
Ridgway led 25-23 going to the fourth quarter before a Gavazzi three and five points from Davis helped the Dutch send the game to overtime.
Rewatch the full game here
Beeler led Ridgway with 15 points with Merritt adding 11 and Jackson Kilpeck seven.
Nedzinski paced St. Marys with 14 points with Davis adding 12.
