Ball State wins on unusual play: a game-winning dunk at the buzzer
From coast-to-coast layups, to desperation 3-pointers to clutch free throws, there all sorts of ways to secure a victory at the buzzer.
Ball State forward Majok Majok utilized one of the rarest methods Wednesday night: a game-winning dunk.
With 6.2 seconds remaining and Ball State trailing visiting Norfolk State by one point, Cardinals point guard Jesse Berry takes the inbound pass and weaves through defenders off the dribble until there's only one man between him and the basket. Berry gets that final defender to leave his feet and dishes it to Majok, who quickly throws down a two-handed slam as time expires to give Ball State a 62-61 win.
Most of the credit on that play has to go to Berry for his clever ball-handling and pinpoint pass. All Majok had to do was catch it cleanly and waste as little time as possible finishing the dunk so the buzzer didn't sound before it left his hand.
“When I caught it, I ain’t going to lie, I was just thinking get the ball up the floor to get us a chance at a shot,” Berry told the Muncie Star-Press. "And when I passed half court I saw it was around 4 maybe 3 (seconds), I was like, OK, I can get in the paint."
Unlike college basketball's most famous game-winning dunk — Lorenzo Charles' alley-oop slam that sent Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone to hug — this one didn't have national title implications. Ball State improves to 6-6 and builds some momentum entering the start of MAC play.
(Thanks, @AndyGlockner)
