TR lets one fly into orbit...
An end to a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa (Al) ...
It was a perfect day in Tuscaloosa. Before the day was over the sell out crowd watched hundreds of Ex-Alabama basketball players, staff, and coaches were honored as the University celebrated its 100th year of roundball history. Alabama would honor two seniors who will not return, and won an exciting game over Georgia 61-58. That win helped Alabama finish second in the SEC, keep their NCAA hopes alive, and put them in the double bye round of next weeks SEC Tournament in Nashville. How much better could it get? The answer was a whole lot more. After Georgia had reduced a 17 point Tide lead to even, and was ready to shoot the final shot of the game, history broke out in Coleman Coliseum. Nick Jacobs and Rodney Cooper spoiled the final Georiga shot to win and overtime was just around the corner. Only it never happened. Instead, Trevor Releford picked up a tipped ball from Cooper and took a couple of dribbles and let a shot fly from 50 feet.
An end to a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa
It was a perfect day in Tuscaloosa. Before the day was over the sell out crowd watched hundreds of Ex-Alabama basketball players, staff, and coaches were honored as the University celebrated its 100th year of roundball history. Alabama would honor two seniors who will not return, and won an exciting game over Georgia 61-58. That win helped Alabama finish second in the SEC, keep their NCAA hopes alive, and put them in the double bye round of next weeks SEC Tournament in Nashville. How much better could it get? The answer was a whole lot more. After Georgia had reduced a 17 point Tide lead to even, and was ready to shoot the final shot of the game, history broke out in Coleman Coliseum. Nick Jacobs and Rodney Cooper spoiled the final Georiga shot to win and overtime was just around the corner. Only it never happened. Instead, Trevor Releford picked up a tipped ball from Cooper and took a couple of dribbles and let a shot fly from 50 feet.
The shot seemed to be launched from a Saturn Rocket. Takeoff was perfect, the in-flight trajectory was A-OK, and the landing was beyond description. Releford's desperation shot with time expiring was nothing but "string music". With the basket the Tide broke Georgia's heart 61-58, and landed the Crimson into a second bye round in the SEC. Oh yeah, it was also the finish of one of the greatest days that Coleman Coliseum will ever see. Hundreds of ex-Tide players, coaches, managers, and support staff were there to honor 100 years of Alabama basketball history. And were they ever treated to a special ending.
I think that Trevor Releford stepped up on a platform with Glenn Garrett, Elliott Washington, and George Linn. They now have company. Four players in four different eras created basketball magic. George Linn made a shot from 84 feet 11 inches against North Carolina in 1955. It was a last moment shot before halftime. It stood as the longest shot in college basketball for decades. Glenn Garrett was an inside banger. His designed shooting range was always around the basket. But in Alabama's first trip to the NIT Garrett found himself in the unfortunate position of having to make a 15ft jump shot to beat Manhattan. He made it as the Tide beat the Jaspers 87-86. Elliott Washington made a 12 foot jump shot to beat Arkansas in one of the biggest wins in Alabama history. I suspect Trevor Releford made what will hereafter be known as "the shot". It couldn't have happened to better player. Releford played an astounding game even had he not make the that last shot. It was a marvelous moment. It gave Alabama its third straight 20 win season. That hasn't happened since 1991. All in all it took a 100 to 1 shot to formally crown Alabama's 100th Basketball Anniversary.
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