AT THE BUZZER
Wednesday night we played Charleroi historically the best team in Belgian basketball. My whole career in Belgium I was 1-12 all time vs Charleroi. It was a cup which is like a tournament during the season. It was winner take all 1 game showdown. No one gave us a chance to win, most of our fans didn’t think we would win. Some people said if we keep the game within 20 points it would be good for us. We were up 11 at the end of the 1st quarter and up 17 at halftime. At halftime we could hear them screaming at each other in the locker room so we knew they would come out and turn it on in the 2nd half. The 3rd quarter ended and we were only up 9. The last quarter was a true grind and a truly great game. Charleroi tied the game at 84 with a little over a minute to go. I hit a 3 to put us up 87-84 with 44 seconds to go. Charleroi comes down misses a 3 we get the rebound but turn it over in the back court, the ball rolls on the floor into the hands of their best shooter and of course he makes a 3 to tie the game at 87 with 24 seconds to go. Our coach calls a timeout draws up a play for me to pass the ball in and get it back and take the last shot. As I am holding the ball watching the clock tick down I knew I was going to take the last shot but I didn’t want to shoot to quick to give them time to get a shot off either. So I held it till 6 seconds I asked a screen from Odell (our center) and his man switches off so now I am being guarded by a 6’8″ 4-5 player and he was giving me space so I couldn’t drive, I knew I had space for the jump shot but I also knew I had to get high up and over his hand. So with 2 seconds left I shoot a 24 footer from the top of the key that I thought was way off, the ball hits the backboard and banks in as time expires. The fans go nuts the team goes nuts and I am on the bottom of a dog pile. My wife tells me that my daughter was upset because she thought the guys on my team were hurting me with the dog pile and my wife and I had to explain to her that they were just hugging me.
Here is a link to the game report and highlights http://www.tvl.be/nl/2012-10-11/cuva-houthalen-wipt-charleroi-uit-basketbalbeker/