Prosper buzzer beater: in their own words

The players, the coach and a fan share their thoughts on the opening round playoff win

The first 31 minutes

“My mindset coming into the game, I was nervous,” junior Jadyn Bennett said. “I wouldn’t say that it was my first playoffs game because we went last year, but it was my first playoff game that I got to play a lot. We were nervous, but still determined to win the game.”

“A lot of adrenalin, it was crazy,” sophomore Zion Richardson said. “The feeling is really indescribable. I was real focused I’d say, because I knew what we had to do and I knew what I had to do especially and I knew being a sophomore I had to step up and we needed this win.”

“I knew it was only the first quarter so myself and the team we didn’t get down on ourselves getting down seven or nine points early because we knew we were the better team,” junior Zac Watson said. “Through the end of the first and into the second we just had an attitude of we’re here in playoffs so we’re not gonna let a little lead get the best of us.”

“It was a close game the whole time pretty much and the last quarter we were up,” Bennett said. “But we started making some turnovers, so they started coming back. We were down by three in the last part of the quarter, but Nate hit a big three to tie the game up. Then [Prosper] hit another shot and then we were down.”

“When we were down in the third it was really just the same mindset as before, just it’s not over until it’s over at the final buzzer,” Watson said. “Late in the third I was just trying to slow the game down, I was trying think through everything I was doing. Making sure I rotated right on defense, making sure I didn’t throw any bad passes, making sure I didn’t make a dumb mistake that could’ve cost us. Coach just kept telling us just play the same game you’ve been playing. He kept saying that we are the better team we’re gonna win the game, the overall feeling was just confidence throughout the fourth that we were gonna win.”

“Once Nathan Hit that three that put us back in the game, that’s when it all started,” sophomore fan Ben Turner said. “It just went crazy from there. Everyone was filming, everyone was standing up out of there seats but no one was talking everyone was just focused on the game. When [Nick] threw it up it went dead silent, and then Zion rebounded and it went in and it was the craziest I’ve seen us ever be.”

The final seconds

“That was a last thing because at first we thought Jadyn was going to make that layup and the ball went out of bounds,” Richardson said. “Coach called us over and he was like alright we drew it up so it was a last minute play it was a great play and it just happened to be a broken play. It was supposed to be for Zac throwing it up alley oop for him to just tip it in but it ended up going over his head. Nick Wynne had caught it, tried to put it up and I was just in the right position to get the rebound.”

“We drew up the play for Zac to get the easy shot and when he didn’t even catch the ball, I was a little bit worried because I saw the time was running out,” senior Nathan Autrey said. “Once Zion got the ball and shot it up really quickly, I was relieved.”

:00 on the clock

“Out of the kids and the other three coaches, I was the most calm,” head coach Danny Melton said. “I think in that situation you have to be, because the officials are going to get together and talk and that’s what they did.”

“I was thinking hopefully he calls it and gives it our way because I’ve seen him give the signal but either way I was prepared for overtime so I was just ready for either way,” Richardson said.

“We told the kids to be prepared for them not to count it and to go into overtime,” Melton said. “It was just a rollercoaster of a high of we won to wait a minute lets see. I always have to think of the worst and the worst would be overtime, so when they gave us the bucket I was extremely happy.”