Boys basketball: Oman hits game winning full-court shot for Packers
Published 1:14 am Wednesday, December 9, 2015
ABOVE: Oman Oman’s game-winning, full-court shot is making the rounds on social media today and even appeared on ESPN.
Austin junior Oman Oman landed a full-court shot at the buzzer to lift the boys basketball team to a stunning 57-56 win in Northfield Tuesday night. And he even ended up on ESPN.com.
The sequence started when Austin sophomore Duoth Gach missed a three-pointer with the Packers trailing 56-54 with three seconds left in the game. The Packers were forced to foul the Raiders with 1.6 seconds left. Northfield (4-2 overall, 3-2 Big Nine) missed the first free throw, and Austin head coach Kris Fadness called a timeout to set up an in bounds play with Oman as the designated passer.
But that in bounds play would never happen as Northfield missed the free throw, and Oman grabbed the defensive rebound and flung the ball with one arm the length of the court. Much to Oman’s surprise, the shot went through the net, and the Packers walked away with an unbelievable 57-56 buzzer-beating win off the full-court shot.
“It was just a reaction. I just got the ball, and I threw it up. Luckily it went in. It kind of surprised me,” Oman said. “I was happy and everyone was charging at me. It was good feeling.”
Austin’s Kyle Oberbroeckling plays defense in Northfield Tuesday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Oman and the Packers (4-0 overall, 3-0 Big Nine) had struggled with their outside shot the entire night. Austin couldn’t seem to buy a bucket down the stretch.
“It was a tough game at the end,” Oman said. “We definitely stole one from them.”
Fadness said he’s never seen an ending like Tuesday’s game in his 30 years of coaching.
The closest shot the Packers have seen to the one like Oman’s was when Mankato East beat the Austin with a buzzer beating three-quarter court shot a few years ago. That shot saw the Cougars get a run at it, but Oman’s game-winner was flat footed.
“Honestly it’s no different than Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary touchdown pass [against Detroit],” Austin head coach Kris Fadness said. “We sort of struggled all night as a team, and we were hanging around. We had a hard time scoring. I give our kids credit for battling and preserving to give us a chance. Luckily a prayer was answered.”
Eleven players scored in the win for the Packers as they continued to show depth.
Austin scoring: Duoth Gach, 11; Mark Manyuon, 10; Zach Coffey, 7; Tate Hebrink, 5; Oman Oman, 5; Kyle Oberbroeckling, 5; Elijah Andersen, 2; Jace Murray, 2; Jany Gash, 1; free throws: 28 percent (2-for-7)