Lamont Butler sent shockwaves through the basketball world, nailing a game-winning buzzer-beater to send the fifth-seeded San Diego State Aztecs to their first National Championship Game.
While most of the nation was stunned after Butler's shot just watching at home, the same went for the fifth-seeded Miami Hurricanes at the arena itself, as they prepared for their matchup against fourth-seeded UConn and had a similar reaction from the sidelines.
Even @CanesHoops were shook by the buzzer beater pic.twitter.com/I1YOPTetj2
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023
Even with the biggest game of their lives only minutes away, the Hurricanes were momentarily lost in the final seconds of SDSU vs. Florida Atlantic, just like the rest of us. It is a wholesome reminder that the game of basketball, especially the NCAA Tournament, can create experiences we can all share.
Miami's stunned response to the Aztec's heart-pounding victory wasn't without merit. Not only did SDSU nail the go-ahead score with zeros on the clock, but they also did so after completing the fifth-largest comeback in Final Four history, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Trailing by as many as 14 in the second half, the Aztecs came roaring back late. After cutting the FAU deficit to one with 10 seconds to go, SDSU decided to forego calling a timeout, leaving it up to Butler to play the hero.
LAMONT BUTLER WINS IT AT THE BUZZER
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023
THE AZTECS ARE #NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP BOUND #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2sqxu5g05j
Butler is the first player in Final Four history to hit a buzzer-beater with his team trailing. He's also only the fifth player to hit a shot at the buzzer in the National Semifinals, joining Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs (2021), Villanova's Kris Jenkins (2016), N.C. State's Lorenzo Charles (1983) and Marquette's Jerome Whitehead (1977).
Butler's game-winning buzzer-beater is the first in Final Four history in which the team was trailing before the shot. https://t.co/HDcKBHBf03
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 2, 2023
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