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Uzziah Buntyn's halfcourt shot as time runs out gives Stony Point tournament title

Stony Point Tigers guard Uzziah Buntyn (1) shoots a free throw against the Johnson Jaguars during the fourth period at the Class 6A-IV boys regional quarterfinal basketball playoff on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023, at Toney Burger Athletic Center in Austin, TX.
Stony Point Tigers guard Uzziah Buntyn (1) shoots a free throw against the Johnson Jaguars during the fourth period at the Class 6A-IV boys regional quarterfinal basketball playoff on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023, at Toney Burger Athletic Center in Austin, TX.

Stony Point is off to an impressive start in boys basketball, but its most dramatic win so far came on Saturday night.

Junior Uzziah Buntyn intercepted an inbounds pass at halfcourt, took one dribble and then swished a 50-foot shot as time ran out to give the Tigers a 66-63 win over Lake Travis in the championship game of the Jack Frost tournament at Georgetown High School.

“We were just supposed to prevent them from getting off a shot,” Buntyn said. “But when he threw it, I thought I could go get it, and I knew there was some time on the clock and put it up.”

Both teams — who were also in the Statesman’s preseason top 10 poll — entered the contest undefeated, and the game lived up to the hype.

After Buntyn sank the shot, it understandably set off a wild celebration by the Tigers.

“At first I was surprised, and I didn’t know how to act because I didn’t know if they were counting it or not,” said Buntyn, who was a second-team all-Central Texas pick last year. “But when I saw they were it was pretty exciting.”

Buntyn noted he has hit halfcourt buzzer-beaters before but never at the end of a game to win a title.

“It was nice,” he said. “Especially in a high-level game like that, those are the moments you dream of. It made it more special it came in a championship game.”

Buntyn finished with 14 points and seven assists in the game for the Tigers (10-0), who received 33 points from Josiah Moseley and a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds from Junior Goodlet.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Uzziah Buntyn's halfcourt shot lifts Stony Point to tournament title