Can a loss get more crushing than this?
Hugo (Okla.) High School’s basketball team was 3.7 seconds away from beating Millwood in the state’s Class 3A quarterfinals Thursday until a blunder of epic proportions changed the outcome.
According to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman, Hugo junior guard Trey Johnson received an inbounds pass as he was going to his basket. Instead of dribbling out the remaining 3.7 seconds, he took advantage of the open court and tossed in a layup. Unfortunately, he completely forgot which way his team was going, and he scored on his own basket. The layup on the wrong basket erased his team’s one-point lead and gave Millwood a stunning 38-37 victory.
“When I saw the kid going that way, I was like, ‘No, he’s not. No, he’s not … Oh, yes he is,’” Millwood coach Varryl Franklin told The Oklahoman. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Franklin told Slater he felt terribly for Johnson, comparing it to Chris Webber’s blunder with Michigan in the 1993 NCAA Tournament championship game against North Carolina.
“I feel sorry for him,” Franklin told The Oklahoman. “Just like Chris Webber, when he called the timeout. I really do feel sorry for him. But hey, I’ll take it.”
Can you imagine how badly the youngster feels? He only had four points in the game, including the two in the wrong hoop. Let’s just hope he’s able to overcome it, because a loss that crushing could stick with someone for a long time. Hey, on the bright side, Johnson should take comfort in knowing that NBA players have made similar mistakes.
UPDATE: The Oklahoma City Thunder reached out to Johnson and offered him tickets to a game.
H/T Mark Ennis
