March 08, 2013 - 6:15 PM
YUKON, Okla. - With a 1-point lead, 2.9 seconds to play and possession of the ball, all Hugo High School had to do was inbound the basketball and run out the clock to advance to the Oklahoma championship tournament.
But what followed stunned everyone.
Hugo guard Trey Johnson got confused and laid the ball into the wrong basket just before the buzzer, giving the opposing team, Millwood High, a 38-37 win and a place in the Class 3A state semifinals.
"When I saw the kid going that way, I was like, 'No, he's not. No, he's not ... Oh, yes he is,'" Millwood assistant coach David Samilton told The Oklahoman (http://t.co/FL5Z33nH47 ). "I couldn't believe it."
Johnson received the pass during Thursday night's game, needing only to dribble away the remaining seconds for a Hugo win. Instead, he got turned around and dropped a layup in the wrong basket just before the buzzer, Hugo coach Darnell Shanklin told The Associated Press on Friday.
Hugo's celebrating fans went silent, and Millwood fans broke out in celebration after a moment of silence for reassurance that the points — and the win — were theirs.
"Without a doubt, that's the toughest locker room I've ever had to talk to," Shanklin said.
Johnson was tough to console, Shanklin said, adding that other players on the team called and texted him on Friday.
"The kid feels terrible. It's still a game, regardless of what anyone says, basketball is still a game," Shanklin said.
With the win, Millwood advances to a semifinal matchup against two-time defending state champ, Centennial High.
"I feel sorry for him," Samilton said. "I really do feel sorry for him. But hey, I'll take it."
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Online:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=yNW9Q_Xnzhs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyNW9Q_Xnzhs
News from © The Associated Press, 2013