Dramatic game-winning shots bring both cheers and tears

There's nothing like the drama of a buzzer-beater that wins a basketball game.

Depending on your allegiance at the time, the buzzer-beater can send you storming the court or storming out of the gym.

If you have no allegiance to either team, you will walk to your car with the satisfaction that you made the right choice for your evening's high school entertainment.

I may go years without personally witnessing a last-second game-winning shot, but I am on an incredible roll this season. And there are more games ahead.

I have been in the stands for four buzzer-beaters so far in 2007-08 with Drewann Pancratz, Jason Leblebijian, Kevin Reed and Pat Ziegenfuss delivering the game-winners.

I went seven years between buzzer-beater sightings.

I remember watching Wheeling's Ray Grady bank in a 50-footer at the buzzer for a 46-43 victory over Prospect in 2000. And this came after Grady made a leaping interception of a three-quarter-court pass.

The buzzer-beater is the ultimate example of the difference between agony and ecstasy in our wide world of sports.

Barry Goheen of Vanderbilt was the uncanny buzzer-beating gunner of the late 1980s. The skinny 6-foot-4 guard hit 7 -- yes, 7! -- last-second shots to win games during his college career.

It's one thing to see a last-second shot win a game on television. Michael Jordan certainly contributed his share of SportsCenter moments.

We also still see constant replays of the 3-pointer Bryce Drew of Valparaiso made to defeat Mississippi in the NCAA Midwest regional in 1998 or when Danny Ainge of Brigham Young drove the length of the floor to make a layup to beat Notre Dame at the buzzer in the NCAA East regional in 1981.

Christian Laettner is especially known for his game-winning last-second shot in Duke's dramatic 104-103 victory over Kentucky in the East regional final of the 1992 NCAA Tournament, acclaimed by many as the greatest college basketball game ever played.

But there's still nothing like actually being there when it happens.

My debut with game-winning shots came in 1963 when I was in the stands for 2 within two months, one in Evanston and one in Champaign.

The second one in Champaign wasn't quite at the buzzer, but it was so close I still count it that way.

I was at Northwestern's McGaw Memorial Hall (its name at the time) on Jan. 14, 1963, when with the game tied at 76-76 and the clock running down, Illinois' Bob Starnes got the ball, took two quick dribbles to the opposite foul line 60 feet away and then launched what he later called a combination baseball pass and hook shot.

The shot dropped square in the middle of the basket. That was Illinois' only lead in the game.

Two months later on March 23, 1963, my wife and I were sitting in the new Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois. The monstrous mushroom was hosting the IHSA state tournament for the first time after 37 years in cozy Huff Gym.

Chicago Carver was playing Centralia for the state title, and after a steal, Centralia called a timeout with a 52-51 lead and only seconds left.

Carver coach Larry Hawkins inserted sophomore Anthony Smedley, a defensive specialist.

A controversial no-call enabled Smedley to bat away the Centralia pass, swipe it, pivot once and launch an 18-footer that went in and gave Carver a 53-52 lead.

Centralia's final shot was partially blocked as the horn sounded.

Thirteen years later on March 20, 1976, I was back in Champaign watching Chicago Morgan Park play Aurora West for the state title.

Laird Smith's 20-footer with no time remaining gave Morgan Park a stunning 45-44 victory. Aurora West had led 38-30 with 5:25 left.

I know I have seen other buzzer-beater shots win high school games in my 50 years with the Herald, but those state title shots are the ones I vividly remember.

Actually, I would be remiss if I didn't mention another buzzer-beater I have seen at least 40 times. I wasn't there, but I still get chills watching the shot sail toward the basket as the clock heads to 0:00.

For me, nothing tops this moment.

In the movie "Hoosiers," Jimmy Chitwood, during a timeout with 18 seconds remaining in the Indiana state championship game and the score tied, is told by Hickory coach Norman Dale he'll be a decoy when the team runs the "picket fence" play. A teammate is assigned the final shot.

When the teammate, in the Hickory huddle, eyes Jimmy with a look of dismay, Chitwood looks up at the coach and says, brimming with confidence, "I'll make it!"

Nothing but net.