In an overtime thriller, Western Washington University sophomore guard D’Angelo Minnis knocked down a half-court buzzer-beater to beat the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets on Feb. 17.
The shot quickly made its way across social media and within a few hours ended up as the number one play on ESPN’s internationally broadcasted SportsCenter Top 10 list.
With 11 seconds left in overtime, Minnis knocked down a three-pointer which brought the Vikings within two points of the Yellowjackets.
With the full-court press on, MSUB inbounded the ball to senior guard Brent Finn. He was met immediately by a diving Western junior guard, Daniel Hornbuckle, who forced a jump ball. Hornbuckle led the Viking's defense, which forced 20 turnovers, with five steals of his own.
With the possession arrow favoring the Vikings, Western had a chance to tie it up. Western junior forward Jalen Green received the inbound. After not being able to shake his defender, Green sank a midrange turnaround jumper, tying the game 80-80 with two seconds left.
MSUB junior forward Bilal Shabazz threw a Hail Mary across half-court toward freshman Nicholas Sebastio, but the 6-foot-8 Green picked off the pass.
Green shoveled the rock to Minnis who banked in an iconic half-court prayer, lifting the Vikings up 83-80 as time expired.
Minnis shot 40% on the floor, posting 19 points including the game-winner.
The Vikings close out the rest of their season with three games on the road. They will next face off against Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
Finn Wendt (he/him) is a sports and recreation reporter at The Front. He is pursuing a degree in visual journalism with a minor in sociology. Outside of journalism, he enjoys photography, eating and hiking. You can reach him at finn.thefront@gmail.com or finnwendt.com.
